Tomorrow, UMM would select the candidates of exchange students, lecturers, and doctors who would be sent to the Europe for the end of this year. Through the Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Windows, this year UMM had to sent seven undergraduate students, eight postgraduate students, five lecturers, and three doctors. This program would last annually till 2013.
The Chief of Foreign Cooperation, Soeparto, told that based on the coordination done by UMM and the Erasmus Mundus delegations in Trento Italia, UMM was one of universities which got the chance to have students exchange program. "In Indonesia, the Erasmus Mundus members are UMM, ITB, and UGM. So UMM is the only private university which could pass the selecting process of this consortium," said Soeparto.
To get those 25 candidates, UMM would take 50-60 candidates. They would be selected internally, based on their English ability to communicate, GPA, and other achievements through the administration and interview test. For those who could pass the test, would be contacted to University of Trento (Italia), University of Innsbruck (Austria), Dresden University of Technology (Jerman), Murcia University (Spanyol), University of Kuopio (Finlandia), Minho University (Portugal), Atilim University (Turki) or Global Education for European Engineers And Entrepreneurs (Perancis).
In those universities in Europe, the UMM students would study for a semester and as long as the lectures were suitable to their department, then the credit would be approved at UMM. "So do the students from Eropa," explained Soeparto.
Meanwhile, there were three programs for the lecturers. Those programs were teaching, researching, or training. The lecturers could choose one of the programs to have their own experience for three months in Europe. While for the UMM doctors, who had been selected, would join the post-doctorate program.
The students were enthuastic. Hundreds of students took this chance and applied to the office of UMM Foreign Cooperation. They hoped they got the chance to go to the Europe this year. "I am optimistic I can get it. If I failed this year, I would try again next year, so I can go studying in Italy," said Teguh, one of the applicants.
According to Soeparto, UMM could only send 25 applicants. But the number of them could be changed if another university in Asia sent less than 25 applicants. "For those who fail this year, do not be so sad because you all can apply again next year," said Soeparto after had a coordination with the deans, department chiefs, and the students delegations on Thursday (11/12).
Other Cooperations
Further Soeparto explained that the cooperation between UMM and the Erasmus Mundus would be widened. The cooperation scheme was involving the members, and those were University Of Cagliari (Italy), University Of Murcia (Spain), University Of Oviedo (Spain), University Of Rovira I Virgili (Spain), and Halmstad University (Sweden).
While the members from Asia were University of Muhammadiyah Malang (Indonesia), Beijing Foreign Studies University (China), Hunan Normal University (China), Lanzhou University (China), Kunming Institute Of Botany (China), Royal University Of Phnom Penh (Cambodia), University Of The Philippines Diliman (The Philippines), Amity University Uttar Pradesh (India), Yenepoya University (India), National University Of Laos (Laos), and Hanoi National University Of Education (Vietnam). It would be the students, lecturers, and doctors exchange program. The fund would be about 77 billion.
Now, UMM was waiting for the British Council responses on the Prime Minister International to Connect program. The program offered to have the students and lecturers exchange to some universities in England. "We have already sent the letter of interest, and now we are waiting for their responses," said Drs. Jarum, M.Ed, the Chief Division of Europe-US Cooperation. (rka/nas/t_ris)
