Yogyakarta, 21/4/2025 – Nadia Ayu Berliana, a fourth-year student in the Japanese Language and Culture Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, has been granted a valuable opportunity to participate in the Spring 2025 Exchange Program at Kobe University, Japan. The Faculty of Global Human Sciences, one of the faculties at Kobe University, caught Nadia’s attention as someone studying the humanities, allowing her to explore how Kobe University examines various aspects of humanity such as culture, society, and social interactions.
By participating in this program, Nadia hopes to learn about cooperation, discipline, daily life ethics, and social dynamics among individuals in different societal environments. This will deepen her understanding of the social aspects and thought patterns of Japanese society. Additionally, Nadia also hopes to gain a new perspective on social and cultural interactions in the global world by experiencing firsthand the various traditions and customs of Japanese society.
Nadia is preparing herself for a smooth adaptation process both in the campus environment and daily life by carefully reviewing the details of the program she will undertake and improving her overall Japanese language skills. Nadia also shared that she has read and watched various resources about the ethics and social norms in Japan, as well as deepened her understanding of the differences in values and thought patterns in Japanese society in preparation for facing cultural differences.
Regarding her views on the importance of student exchange programs, Nadia expressed her opinion that student exchange programs are valuable opportunities that can have a significant impact on personal and academic development. These programs allow students to learn from different perspectives, hone critical and analytical thinking skills in a new academic environment, and train students to become more independent, adaptive, and open to other cultures, thereby enhancing personal quality. The opportunity to expand one’s horizons and build relationships is also an important point explaining why student exchange programs have a significant impact on personal development both as individuals and as students.
Finally, Nadia conveyed a message to her peers who are also pursuing opportunities to study in Japan to prepare with strong determination because the process is not easy and to actively seek information about exchange programs, such as those available through the Office of International Affairs (OIA) at Universitas Gadjah Mada. Another message Nadia shared is to never give up in pursuing opportunities that will become valuable life experiences.
“…Failure is not the end; it can be a lesson to try again with better preparation. And most importantly, never be afraid to try…”
[Public Relation of Japanese Literature FIB UGM, Yulia Agustiani]
