A total of 12,420 students from 479 universities will participate in the second batch of the Freedom Student Exchange (PMM) Program at 138 recipient campuses across Indonesia, the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry has informed.
In a written statement issued on Friday, acting director of learning and student affairs at the ministry, Sri Gunani Partiwi, said that the single-semester exchange program is not long in terms of duration.
However, students are expected to optimize their time and learn many things that will enrich their experience while also developing their portfolio, she added.
Students will study at recipient universities for one semester from August to December 2022, and get up to 20 credits.
PMM is a part of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (Freedom in Learning, Freedom in Campus) program, which seeks to provide Indonesian students the opportunity to gain learning experiences outside their original universities.
Through the program, university students are expected to improve their national insight, integrity, and solidarity through intercultural learning, while developing their competency and leadership skills.
Students have shown a strong desire to participate in the second batch of PMM, as indicated by the fact that 35,107 students from 479 Indonesian universities have applied for the program.
The students for PMM’s second batch were chosen in a series of selections held in June and July.
The students’ departure will be carried out gradually. The first group will leave on August 4, 2022, for Sriwijaya University, while on August 11, as many as 2,348 students will travel to 15 recipient universities.
“I express my gratitude to various parties that have supported the implementation of the program, including the students’ parents and recipient universities,” Partiwi remarked.
Source: Antara News