Indo-Austay Program Partners with UMS for Language and Cultural Exchange

The Indo-Austay Adult Immersion Program has once again partnered with the Office of Language and General Science (LBIPU) of Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) to study the Indonesian language and culture. Indo-Austay itself is a program organized by the Indonesian Australian Association of Victoria.

This year, the participants of the Indo-Austay Adult Immersion Program are Hector Warren Fraser, Colin Style, Malcolm Rogers, and Lucia Bates.

Dr. Abdillah Nugroho, M.Hum., the program coordinator, stated that the program will take place over two weeks, from January 6 to January 20, 2025. Throughout the program, participants will learn the Indonesian language with lecturers from the Bahasa Indonesia for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) program at UMS. Additionally, LBIPU will provide buddies to assist participants in learning about Indonesian culture.

“They (the participants) want to become fluent and skilled in the Indonesian language while also learning about Javanese culture in Solo. When coming to Solo, they are visiting ‘The Center of Javanese Culture,’ the heart of Javanese traditions," said Abdillah while welcoming the participants at LBIPU UMS on Monday (6/1/2024).

LBIPU UMS has scheduled various activities, such as visiting a school in Bayat, Klaten, attending a Javanese wedding, learning batik-making, and taking a cultural trip to Cetho Temple in Karanganyar.

The Vice Rector I of UMS, Prof. Dr. Harun Joko Prayitno, M.Hum., was also present to welcome the program participants. According to Harun, the participants have the opportunity to visit institutions beyond those already scheduled, such as UMS partner institutions. “I hope that while in Solo, they won’t just visit UMS but also our partner institutions, such as schools, to enrich their knowledge of language, culture, and information,” added Harun.

A representative of the program participants, Hector Warren Fraser, expressed his excitement for the planned activities. He believes that learning and practicing Javanese culture, especially in Solo, will be one of his best experiences.

“We looked at the schedule and felt very excited, it’s amazing. We’re happy because there will be many opportunities to learn about Javanese culture and Solo. We will also be able to learn and practice, making this an incredible experience,” said Hector.

After the welcoming session at LBIPU UMS, the Indo-Austay participants took an Indonesian language pre-test to assess their proficiency.

Writer: Maysali

Translator: Rizal

Editor: Al Habiib