Western International

Their interests are as varied as sports photography, subtitled films, nutrition science and Pink Floyd, and those reflect just two of the ten Indonesian students who’ve been living and studying at Western over the fall term. Getting here was no easy process. Tsaltsabillah “Sasa” Khairunissa and Jagad Pramundito had to demonstrate excellence in academics, English and extracurricular pursuits to receive the Indonesian International Student Mobility Award (IISMA), a full scholarship from the Indonesian Ministry of Education that funds high-achieving students for one term at over 100 host universities worldwide. Khairunissa and Pramundito chose to study abroad at Western. “The scholarship gives us the opportunity to be a better person and a better student,” Khairunissa said. “Being out of our country and among new people enriches our knowledge. That encourages us to grow, and once we’re out here, we want more.” Through its Global Engagement Plan, Western is striving to develop new international partnerships and learn from different cultures around the world. Participating in the IISMA program, now in its third year, is just one of many ways Western champions global citizenship. “Hosting international students like IISMA scholarship awardees on Western’s campus brings numerous benefits,” said Lise Laporte, senior director of Western International. “It fosters cultural exchange, broadens global perspectives inside and outside the classroom, and provides valuable opportunities for Canadian and international students to personally connect,” Laporte added. “It also promotes community engagement and personal growth, making the campus more inclusive and diverse.”  

Scholarship rewards high-achieving students with chance to study abroad

Only 2,000 of 11,000 applicants were selected for the IISMA program after a rigorous evaluation of their grades, CV, English proficiency and knowledge of national history. Khairunissa studied communications at one of Indonesia’s top universities while staying active outside of school as an athlete and an intern in journalism and film production. Pramundito is a nutrition science student ranked as the most outstanding applicant in his faculty for academic achievements, national pride and promotion of community well-being. Their immersion in Western’s culture presented some unexpected experiences. “Everyone here holds the door open for you, “ Khairunissa said. “Even if you are still far away from the building, they will wait for you to walk through. That’s so nice.” Khairunissa and Pramundito also appreciated the written comments their professors provided for all their assignments. “The very thorough feedback and the less formal interactions with our professors were some of the most interesting differences,” Pramundito said. “The opportunity to email our professors or see them at office hours makes it easy to have good communication.” Khairunissa said she learned a lot in a short time. “The chance to study abroad at Western gave me the confidence to write in English and improve my academic writing,” she said. “One of the highlights here was working with the Western Gazette.” As an avid fan of women’s basketball in Indonesia, she grew increasingly interested in sports journalism. At the Gazette, she wrote game recaps and got behind the lens, too. Khairunissa has always wanted to study abroad. She’s grateful for the IISMA scholarship for making international education affordable.  

Students find resourceful ways to learn English

Being an exemplary student with extracurricular achievements wasn’t enough to receive the scholarship – both Khairunissa and Pramundito needed to be fluent in English. Pramundito is largely self-taught. He started learning English in Grade 6 by watching YouTube and playing online video games. “A lot of my competitors were from Australia and Singapore. Their English is very different than here,” he said. “I don’t have much knowledge of English grammar, but I remember what I heard from the videos and movies.” During the pandemic, Pramundito used his time in isolation to discover more western music, developing a taste for 60s acts including the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix. “I listen to Pink Floyd at home, though I don’t think it’s for everyone. I know some people in Indonesia listen to Western music because they like the sound, but they don’t understand the words. I’m listening to understand the meaning.” Khairunissa learned some English in school, supplemented by exposure at home. “My mom often talks to me in English, and we also watch a lot of European movies with English subtitles, and American TV shows like Friends.”

Cross-cultural experiences build global citizens

Khairunissa and Pramundito participated in International Week events, where they shared Indonesian cuisine and showcased Indonesian photographers, traditional dances and games. Pramundito was one of the chefs in the International Week Cooking Showdown, where he prepared a curry chicken dish. “The competition was fierce,” he said. “I learned the Canadian palette does not have the taste for spice the way Indonesians do.” Khairunissa helped create an event to showcase Indonesian culture. It included a film screening where students also shared souvenirs made from a traditional Indonesian fabric, along with one of the country’s well-known exports. “Canadian students especially enjoyed our coffee from Bali and Papua. I think it was the highlight for them.” Pramundito enjoyed meeting people from across the globe at Western. “In Indonesia, we have hundreds of different ethnic Indigenous groups with their own languages and cultures, but Canada also has international diversity. My roommates are from China and India.” Both students said studying in Canada among a diverse student body helped them consider a wider range of views. “With a wider perspective from international experience, we can think differently about how to move forward with the rest of our lives,” Khairunissa said. “Sometimes we can even redefine our purpose in life while we are here, which has happened to some of my friends.”

“With international experience, you can think about the problems you face from more than one cultural perspective. You also understand that other cultures view the same issue differently. That’s valuable for a student.” – Jagad Pramundito, Indonesian student in study abroad at Western program

Pramundito is looking to a future where he can apply his education in nutrition science to tackle a serious public health problem in Indonesia – stunted growth due to nutritional deficiencies. It affects 20 percent of Indonesian children under age 2. “I want to help alleviate that. Maybe I can invent a highly nutritive biscuit that could be distributed to families in poverty.” For now, he has his sights set on attending graduate school internationally. “I’d never been outside of Indonesia until I came here. Studying at Western made me want to keep challenging myself and experience as much as I can.”