The Indonesia International Student Mobility, commonly known as IISMA, is a government scholarship program for students from the 4th to the 7th semester. Here, the government provides students with the opportunity to study for one semester at one of the world’s top universities, fully funded by the government. The choice of universities offered is spread across the globe, and representing Universitas Airlangga, Aisyah Fadhilah Whardhana, a Mathematics student from the 2018 cohort, is one of many students from various universities who have been selected and have the opportunity to fly to the United States and study at one of the prestigious universities there, the University of California (UC) located in Davis, California, United States, after undergoing the registration and participant selection process.
Students can choose courses provided by IISMA, and these courses vary depending on the chosen university. Moreover, students can also request specific courses during their studies there. To do this, students only need to wait for IISMA to validate the request. Course selections do not necessarily have to match the number of credits a student holds at their home university. The IISMA advises students to take courses available at the university they choose so that they can focus on studying, interacting with locals, gaining insights and experiences, expanding connections, and, not forgetting, learning about the culture of the country during the program. Life in America varies for each student participating in the program. Some universities provide dormitories for students, while others suggest homestays. UC, for instance, recommends homestays, where students live with American families directly, allowing them to interact directly with local Americans.
Although coming from the Mathematics program, this did not hinder Aisyah from choosing courses unrelated to her original field of study. This is due to her desire to try something new. Thus, Aisyah herself chose “4 design of coffee,” “visualizing society,” “engineering problem solving,” and “nutrition” as her chosen courses during the program. “Design of coffee” is the most famous course at UC, focusing on the proper techniques in managing coffee beans, ranging from roasting, brewing, tasting, and other techniques, making it Aisyah’s favorite course.
During her time there, Aisyah not only experienced campus activities and studying but also got to know various habits and behaviors of the people around her in America. Based on Aisyah’s experience during her studies at UC, students are active in giving opinions during classes, and the teaching professors appreciate students who make an effort to present their opinions, and they are approachable. The portion of meals for Americans compared to Indonesians also differs, with Americans having approximately 2-3 times the portion size of Indonesians. Moreover, they are also friendly and polite to others, such as holding the door open for others to enter.
Quoting from an interview conducted after leaving America, Aisyah said, “I actually wanted to stay there longer. Because it’s only 3 months, as UC Davis uses a quarter system instead of a semester.” Aisyah’s nearest plan is to prepare her thesis as she has reached her fourth year. Students interested in participating in this program can directly visit the Campus Merdeka website, where students can create an account and register online. Aisyah’s message to interested students is, “Stay motivated and be bold to go abroad!”
