Yogyakarta, December 18, 2023 – The Faculty of Biology at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) organized a farewell party for 7 students from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) who participated in the student exchange program at UGM. The students, namely Noor Emylia Binti Hisham, Nuraisyah Farhana Binti Ab Hadi, Norsharmila Binti Razali, Nur Syazwani Binti Azlin, Hurulain Silmina Binti Hamdi, Yeoh Jing, and Nur Izyan Binti Mohd Ramle, had been part of the program from August to December 2023. The event took place on Monday, December 18, 2023, and featured a barbecue and shabu grill dinner, creating lasting memories for all participants.
The event commenced with a warm welcome from the Dean of the Faculty of Biology at UGM, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr., Sc., who emphasized the significant benefits of the student exchange program for all parties involved. He expressed hope that the inter-university relationships would continue to flourish and provide positive contributions to the field of knowledge.
Subsequently, one of the UTHM students, Syazwani, shared her thoughts and experiences during her time at UGM. “I would like to express my gratitude to all the lecturers and UGM’s staff for their warm hospitality and care during my nearly 5-month study period here. Thank you for always providing us with comfortable accommodation and excellent services. I apologize if there were any unintentional mistakes or misunderstandings that may have occurred. I am also thankful for the opportunity to study and explore while being here. Overall, I truly enjoyed and had a great time in Indonesia. This concludes my sharing of the exciting experiences I’ve had here. Thank you so much. Till we meet again,” she expressed.
The event concluded with emotional farewells and a sense of camaraderie between the UTHM students and the UGM academic community. Norsharmila, one of the UTHM students, shared a profound statement: “Kalau ladang banyak hama, tak perlu petani untuk berpindah. Hati masih ingin bersama, tapi waktu habislah sudah,” serving as a meaningful expression of farewell.
The Faculty of Biology at UGM hopes that exchange programs like this will continue to strengthen inter-university collaboration, provide valuable experiences for the participating students, and enhance the quality of education in line with SDG 4.