In an effort to enrich students’ higher education experience amidst the increasingly intense dynamics of globalization, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI) held an international mobility activity entitled Student Mobility for Building Climate Resilience: ASEAN STEM Student Society Chapter Bangkok 2024, at several universities in Thailand, on June 8-13, 2024.

This activity is a collaborative program of FMIPA UI together with Universiti Putra Malaysia, Chulalongkorn University, Kasetsart University, and the Indonesian-Thailand Student Association (PERMITHA), in the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Sebanyak sepuluh mahasiswa FMIPA UI dari lintas program studi sarjana terlibat dalam kegiatan ini.

Their visit to the land of the white elephant was accompanied by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Budiawan as the Vice Dean for Education, Research and Student Affairs, and Dr. Dewi Susiloningtyas, M.Si. as the Student Affairs Manager of FMIPA UI.

There, FMIPA UI students visited the Faculty of Science Chulalongkorn University, the Faculty of Science Kasetsart University, the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI), and visited a number of… landmark.

Prof. Budiawan said, “The activity was held as a forum for the young generation in Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand to discuss, share knowledge, experiences, and innovative ideas to overcome the challenges of sustainable development, especially in the context of climate change.”

In this collaboration between four educational institutions from three ASEAN countries, a discussion forum was also held with the Indonesian Student Association of Thailand (PERMITHA). The meeting with PERMITHA focused on discussing global issues related to the impact of climate change that are currently in the spotlight of the world community, as well as the role of students with a STEM background in providing solutions to previously identified problems.

From this discussion forum, a joint commitment was born in the form of a statement of concern from ASEAN youth regarding the importance of tackling climate change.

Dr. Dewi said that the statement was made as a concrete step to strengthen the commitment of students, as the younger generation in tackling climate change by equipping them with the knowledge they gain on their respective campuses.

This movement, continued Dr. Dewi, is expected to optimize the role of all parties in efforts to overcome the impacts of climate change, through mitigation and adaptation actions, which can be carried out at the individual, group, community and country levels.

“We encourage students at FMIPA UI as young people to make significant contributions in overcoming climate change, one strategy is through a declaration like this. Hopefully, this activity and declaration can further encourage related parties to become agents of implementing environmentally friendly behavior,” said Dr. Dewi.

The Head of BEM FMIPA UI 2024, Adrian Al-Farisi, who participated in this international mobility activity, said that this activity was a good initiative from FMIPA UI and hoped that this activity could continue to be developed.

“From a young person’s perspective, the climate crisis has become a real threat and obstacle to our dreams in the future. In fact, some of us have already felt the impact starting now. So through this forum, we want to change that anxiety into as many ideas as possible, not only for a greener future for Indonesia but also for ASEAN countries.”

In addition to carrying out a series of academic activities, such as short lectures and campus tours at the Faculty of Science Chulalongkorn University, and the Faculty of Science Kasetsart University, in order to gain insight into educational infrastructure, learning technology and research there, students also made cultural tourism visits to the Grand Palace and Wat Arun, to get to know more closely the cultural heritage, art, and history of Thailand, as well as visiting the Indonesian Embassy Office.

At the Indonesian Embassy, ​​the students were warmly welcomed by Mr. Hidayat Atjeh, Counselor Minister for Information, Social, and Cultural Functions of the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok. He explained several interesting things to the students, including a picture of the lives of Indonesian people in Thailand, the potential for strong cooperation between Indonesia and Thailand in the field of education, such as academic exchanges, joint research, and other educational programs, to career opportunities for students abroad.

No less importantly, he opened up insights about career opportunities open to students in the international arena, and motivated students to be enthusiastic about pursuing a career at the global level.

With this comprehensive presentation, the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok is not only a stopover, but also a valuable source of inspiration and knowledge for students in this activity.