The Faculty of Education and Teacher Training of Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (FKIP UMS) held the Community Service Program selection for International Partnership (KKNDik) as Independent Learning Independent Campus (MBKM) program of the Muhammadiyah Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs), Monday (13/06). The students who qualified would be located in the Indonesia Learning Activity Center in Malaysia. The program was initiated by the Association of Educational Institutions (ALPTK) MHEIs which collaborates with the Education and Cultural Attache (Atdikbud) Republic of Indonesia in Malaysia.
Prof. Dr. Harun Joko Prayitno, the program initiator, explained the KKNDik aimed to actualize an equitable education system for all Indonesian both at home and overseas. “The program is a part of the MBKM program in ALPTK MHEIs where the students will receive the conversion of 10-20 Credit Units after finishing a-month program there,” said the Chairman of ALPTK MHEIs and the Vice-Rector I UMS.
To follow KKNDik, the prospective students would go through a tight and gradual selection from the MHEI level to Muhammadiyah Council for Higher Education, Research, and Development (CHERD). In FKIP UMS, the selective process began with initial screening for 79 students. It started from study program screening to assess physical and academic preparation, including honesty, self-reliance, and Islamic and Muhammadiyah comprehension. Thirty-four students were qualified after the interview phase on the study program and faculty boards. “It is an essential program to develop students’ soft skills to face dynamic challenges in the future,” said Prof. Sr. Sutama, the Dean of FKIP UMS.
FKIP UMS, established several years ago, has sent students to obtain an internship program or KKN in various regencies outside Java, for instance Bangka Belitung, Makassar, Mataram, Palu, and many others that collaborated with Muhammadiyah Higher Education institutions. Furthermore, FKIP UMS has regularly sent students to take global internships in Thailand, the Philippines, and many other countries. [] CHERD / UMS / ALPTK
