International Service by FEB UM Lecturers at SIJB Malaysia: Literacy Insights into Indonesian Cultural Diversity Through Archipelago Tales, Educational Quizzes, and Batik Art Practices
MALAYSIA, June 20, 2024 - Lecturers of the Faculty of Economics and Business, State University of Malang (FEB UM) held an international service program at Sekolah Indonesia Johor Bahru (SIJB) Malaysia with the theme "Literacy of Insights into Indonesian Cultural Diversity Through Storytelling, Educational Quizzes, and Batik Art Practices." This program aims to increase students' understanding and appreciation of the richness of Indonesian culture.
This program was led by Sri Handayani, S.Pd., M.Pd, who together with a team of FEB UM lecturers arranged a series of interactive activities. The activity began with a storytelling session that brought stories from various regions in Indonesia. These stories were chosen to reflect the cultural diversity and noble values that exist in each region. This program is an effort to support the achievement of SDGs 4, 10, and 17, namely quality education, reduced inequality, and partnerships to achieve goals. Ibu Yani emphasized the importance of understanding and appreciating cultural diversity as part of the nation's identity.
In addition to the storytelling session, the students were also invited to take an educational quiz that tested their knowledge of Indonesian culture. The quiz was designed to stimulate students' curiosity and passion for learning about various aspects of culture, from traditional dances to culinary specialties from different regions. The quiz was a fun and competitive event for the students to showcase their knowledge.
This activity was followed by a batik art practice, where students were given the opportunity to try traditional batik techniques. In this session, students learned about the history of batik, the symbolism of batik motifs, and the process of batik making. Ibu Yani and the team of lecturers guided the students in creating their own batik works, providing hands-on experience that deepened their appreciation of one of Indonesia's world-recognized cultural heritages.
Plh. Head of SIJB, Mrs. Erry Kananga, appreciated the initiative of FEB UM lecturers in introducing Indonesian culture to students. "We are very grateful for this very well-organized program. Through storytelling, quizzes, and batik practice, students can better understand and love Indonesian culture, "he said.
The students showed great enthusiasm during the activity. They enjoyed every session and felt inspired to learn more about Indonesian culture. One of the students, Dewi, shared her experience, "I am very happy with this activity. I learned a lot about the culture of different regions in Indonesia and now I can make my own batik."
This international service program shows the commitment of FEB UM in making a real contribution through activities that have a positive impact on Indonesia's young generation abroad. By introducing and teaching the diversity of Indonesian culture, it is hoped that students can become proud cultural ambassadors and be able to promote the richness of Indonesian culture abroad.