Malang, 21 September 2022 – We flew to Gubungkalah village in East Java as part of The International Community Development Program 2022 (ICDP 2022) from 21-27 August 2022 with our students from Malang, Bandung, and Greater Jakarta campuses as well as international students from Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Somalia, Zimbabwe, India, and Cambodia.

The program will not only enrich their experience while in BINA NUSANTARA but give them a taste of solving a real-world problem through workshops and community development. Students had the chance to stay at the tourist village and learn about the Design Thinking workshop. It equipped the students with fundamental knowledge of different approaches in issues identification to crafting out-of-the-box solutions with the community. In addition, they had the chance to immerse themselves with the local family to cultivate their understanding of the culture.

Our Semester 7 Fashion Design students, Sandra S. Rodel (SR) from India and Chanreaksmey Loy (CL) from Cambodia of Fashion Design, joined the program and are keen to share their experiences with you!

Why you joined the program?
SR: I joined as soon as I read about the program and the opportunity to gain insight into Design Thinking. At that time, I am on my summer break – why not take the opportunity to improve my skills and enjoy the chance to meet more people. Also, this is a perfect opportunity to see more of Indonesia.

CL: The program is a chance to go beyond the classroom, where I can implement the learning from the Design Workshop in real life. So, why not!

What is the most exciting part of the program?
SR: An opportunity to be with the community and implement how I can help to propose creative solutions.

CL: I enjoyed how the program can provide insight into effective communication. This will be crucial to gain understanding from the community to develop the solutions accordingly.

Challenges that you found?
SR: My team and I learned that the village needs more publicity. Many did not know they had so much to offer – from rafting to other cultural experiences. They have almost everything you can think of. My team and I recommended that the community use YouTube to showcase the activities in the village. Using the platform, they can use their own device to produce a virtual tour of the surrounding….because it’s a beautiful place!

CL: A digital menu! Yes, the menu will entice the flavor of potential visitors since they can savor many local delights. What’s great is that they can easily share the menu via the messenger application!

CL & SR: Providing a sustainable solution can be challenging since we need to think thoroughly from the beginning of the process.

How does this experience enrich your study experience while in BINA NUSANTARA?
SR: Meeting new people and seeing different perspectives!

Anything else that you want to share about the program?
SR: It was a great opportunity. I met new friends from other BINA NUSANTARA campuses! The experience will widen my soft skills.

Back in Semester 2, I took a Project hatchery class. Previously, I focused on the campus, but now I can get to feel the real thing!

CL: Very insightful and perfect for me. The preparation, the mentor, the food, the accommodation, and everything else in between! I gained many perspectives throughout this experience, which helped me boost my self-confidence, public speaking skill, and teamwork.

Did I mention that I learned a new word in Javanese? Yes, now I can say matur suwun (which translated as thank you).