Yogyakarta, May 27th 2024─Vu Minh Anh, a foreign student from Vietnam, has successfully graduated as a bachelor of the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol) UGM. Vu Minh is one of the first batch of students to receive the FISIPOL UGM ASEAN+1 Scholarship Programs (FIAS) scholarship in 2021. She admitted that she was happy to be able to study at Fisipol UGM until he received a cumlaude predicate.
“I first got the FIAS recommendation from my family. They had worked in Indonesia and thought UGM was one of the best in Indonesia,” said Vu Minh. According to her, the scholarship is very helpful, as it covers the full cost of education, monthly allowance, and cultural orientation. Although she was scared at first because of her choice to study abroad, she had an unforgettable experience while studying at FISIPOL UGM.
When asked about preparation, Vu Minh felt that the requirements for FIAS were not burdensome. First, he was asked to write an essay, fill out a form, and attach important documents. In the second stage, he had an interview session with two lecturers from the Department of International Relations. FIAS itself is a scholarship for international students initiated by FISIPOL UGM. This program is for ASEAN countries and Timor Leste, and is available in three main departments, namely the Department of International Relations, the Department of Public Policy and Management, and the Department of Communication Science.
Vu Minh shared her experience when he first came to Indonesia. Initially, she was afraid that she would not be able to blend in because of the cultural and language differences experienced. Moreover, the learning system is much different from her home country, Vietnam. “Taking my first step in Indonesia was a big choice. Indonesia may not be a common choice to continue my education, but I am happy that it has finally become one of the great achievements in my life,” said Vu Minh.
Despite having difficulty in adapting, Vu Minh is grateful for the many orientation programs provided by FISIPOL UGM. For her, the most important thing for her learning process is how the environment can provide a lot of support. She said that FISIPOL UGM was very good at accepting her. “The lecturers here are very supportive of my learning process even outside of class, the staff are also very helpful whenever I need them. I also made friends with international friends who always support me,” she added.
The FIAS program has helped Vu Minh a lot to get her undergraduate degree. She is very proud to be graduating with 1,423 other UGM undergraduate graduates on Wednesday (22/5). Studying in a foreign country made her face many challenges and learnings. Vu Minh believes that her choice at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UGM was the right choice. Meeting new friends, new culture, new environment, is an experience that not everyone can get. Vu Minh enthusiastically recommends FISIPOL UGM as a destination for other cross-country students.
“I give it a rating of 10/10. I hope there are more international students studying at the Faculty. Go Big or Go Home. There is no right or wrong choice, but FISIPOL UGM is the right choice to start,” she concluded. In the future, it is expected that there will be more international students studying with the help of the FIAS Scholarship Program. This scholarship is also a commitment of FISIPOL UGM to realize the 4th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), namely Quality Education.