A press conference was held in the Mikael building, Unika Soegijapranata, to welcome and introduce the 16 international students who had just arrived for the Darmasiswa Program. The conference was also attended by Vice Rector IV, Mr. Benny Setianto, and related campus officials.
Darmasiswa Program aims to strengthen international relationship through the use of soft diplomacy, to spread Indonesian cultures, and to provide objective clarification about the condition in Indonesia to the international community. Two programs were opened this year: Indonesian Traditional Herbal Medicine and Entrepreneurship and Social Responsibility. The 16 accepted students are from Lithuania, Slovakia, Estonia, Thailand, Timor Leste, Myanmar, Poland, Srilanka and Ethiopia.
Unika Soegijapranata offers a unique approach to the Darmasiswa Program, by focusing on the study of Bahasa Indonesia, art and culture. The students are expected not only to go through their chosen programs, but also to learn and enjoy living in a culture that could very well be different to their own. CLT as the language institution in Unika Soegijapranata is also involved, teaching them the necessary skills of Bahasa Indonesia required for daily communication and studies.