Yogyakarta, 10 December 2024─A winter course program was held as an actualization of cooperation between Singapore Management University and Universitas Gadjah Mada. SMU and UGM students can exchange economic, political, and social insights through this Winter Course.
The SMUxUGM Winter Course 2024 program was held from 8-20 December 2024 and had three main activities: lectures, company visits, and team building. The lecture session is an interactive learning activity in the classroom, held centrally at Fisipol UGM every Monday and Tuesday. According to Muhammad Risandi Sayuti, as Project Officer of SMUxUGM Winter Course 2024, the program under the auspices of GEO Fisipol UGM carries three themes studied in lecture sessions: economics, politics, and social. In each session, students will be brought together with lecturers who have fields of expertise under the theme. Such as the class session on Tuesday (10/12) with the theme of Circular Economy in Indonesia, delivered by a lecturer from the Department of International Relations, Suci Lestari Yuana, M.I.A., who explained the concept of circular economy not from the consumer level alone but from the production and distribution process.
Also, in a session-themed Climate Change Mitigation with case studies of Southeast Asian countries, SMU and UGM students were allowed to discuss and exchange insights from a comparative perspective. This aligns with the objectives of the SMUxUGM WInter Course 2024 program. “This agenda is a manifestation of cooperation between SMU and UGM, considering that SMU also has similar programs in other countries such as Brunei, Malaysia, and others,” said Risandi in an interview. With this program, students are expected to enrich their insights from various dimensions (multidimensional outlook).
The company visits conducted at Gameloft Jogja, Monggo Chocolate, and Tambi Tea Factory aimed to see first-hand the skills and productivity of the local economy. Meanwhile, this program also held a cultural visit to the natural community and local wisdom in Pentingsari Tourism Village to introduce economic collaboration models that can be explored using the village’s natural and cultural potential.
34 high school students and 8 UGM students attended the program. Through this program, students are expected to receive education on sustainability and encourage innovation. Thus, similar student exchange programs can be held yearly to strengthen the global partnership between UGM and SMU.