HumasUPNVJ - Dinda Rizky Kinasih, a Communication Science student at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, National Development University "Veteran" Jakarta (FISIP UPNVJ) is one of the recipients of the prestigious Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) scholarship in 2024. In this program, Dinda got a golden opportunity to study at the University of Limerick, Ireland, for one semester.
Through a strict selection process, Dinda managed to pass various stages, starting from document collection, diversity tests, to the final announcement.
"This was an eye-opening and very rewarding experience, both academically and non-academically," said Dinda.
While in Ireland, Dinda chose four lecture modules, namely Marketing, Intercultural Communication, Introduction to Digital Media, and Sociology of Gender and Popular Culture.
She said she was particularly challenged by two courses that were outside her comfort zone: marketing and gender sociology. “I learned how to market a local business and how pop culture is critiqued through gender theory,” she explained.
Not only focusing on academics, Dinda is also active in various activities outside the classroom. She tried fencing and regularly exercises at the campus fitness center.
One of the most memorable moments for him was when he participated in a cultural event entitled Berbudaya: A Journey Through Indonesian Culture, where IISMA students introduced the richness of Indonesian culture to students and lecturers at the University of Limerick.
"We present traditional food, typical souvenirs, and dance performances to introduce Indonesia to the world," he said.
In addition, Dinda was also a speaker in a climate change webinar attended by more than 100 participants from An-Najah National University, Palestine, as part of the CliVex program virtual exchange.
“This experience broadened my horizons, deepened my understanding of the world, and made me proud to be part of Indonesia that contributes to the global space,” Dinda concluded.
The IISMA program is one of the flagship programs of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology which aims to provide an international learning experience for Indonesian students at various of the world's best universities.