A number of 14 students and 3 staff from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) had the opportunity to explore Indonesian culture and learn sustainability practices during their recent visit to Universitas Gadjah Mada on 24-29 November, 2025.
Titled “Leadership Building a Better Future: Community, Culture, and Sustainability”, this visit is a collaboration program between UGM and UTM aimed to give a dynamic combination of academic learning, cultural immersion, and hands-on fieldwork for UTM international students.
On the first day of visit, the UTM students were joined by 13 students from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for a campus tour, where they visited some of UGM’s iconic landmarks like UGM Main Building. The students were also involved in a short session with UGM Buddy Club later in the afternoon, discussing topics on student leadership and international student life.
Throughout the rest of the visit, the UTM students engaged in a mix of lecture and fieldwork activities, such as learning about Indonesian society and culture from UGM lecturers, making Indonesian traditional beverage jamu kunir asem from scratch in the Faculty of Pharmacy UGM, and visiting Kali Code (Code River) and Pusat Inovasi Agroteknologi UGM (PIAT UGM), an agrotechnology learning and innovation center owned by UGM.
Welcomed by the local community in Kali Code, the students gained insight about community-led sustainability practices like waste banks, river management in urban settings, public green space, and clean water.
“Some of the land here is actually government-owned, but they lend it to us so we can utilize it into a public space for the community,” explained Mr. Totok Pratopo, representative from the Kali Code community. “For example, each Sunday morning we have a culinary market here so everyone can gather and enjoy food together,” he concluded.
Adding to the Kali Code experience, the students then visited PIAT UGM to learn about agricultural innovation, waste management within the UGM campus, and making beverages and snacks using local resources.
The fieldwork to various spots in Yogyakarta and UGM proved to be the most exciting point for UTM students and staff. “It’s interesting to see how UGM manages to apply sustainability and circular economy practices with their own resources,” said Ms. Norfaeza, one of UTM staff.
To complete their experience, the students joined a cultural session in Tembi Rumah Budaya, Bantul, where they experienced pottery and batik making firsthand. They also learned how to play gamelan, the Indonesian traditional instruments, all guided by the local artisans.
Maysaa Awad, UTM student from Palestine, expressed her appreciation for the program. “It was really fun, as we got to see and explore a lot of things in UGM and Yogyakarta,” she said.
The week-long program not only enriched the students’ academic and cultural insights, but also strengthened the relationship between UGM and UTM. As the students departed Yogyakarta with new knowledge and meaningful experiences, both institutions are hopeful that this program would inspire more shared learning opportunities in the future.
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