Student Exchange Programs

University of Muhammadiyah Malang

A. Background
In the globalized world as what we are facing today, no one is
able to run away; no matter what we are. Globalization cannot
differentiate between someone who understands the idea behind it
and the one who knows nothing about it. It does not have ears to
listen, no nose to smell, and no the heart to to feel. Therefore, a
university like the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) does
not want to be left behind, entering and involving a university in this
world is unquestioned.
UMM is able to identify that, at least, there are four key
reasons for paying greater attention to globalization. The first is
because knowledge knows no boundaries; if we do not
internationalize, we risk becoming a narrow-minded institution. The
University has made it clear that we will judge our accomplishments
according to international standards. By developing collaborative
partnerships with many of the best institutions around the world, we
will continue to enhance the quality of our own programs, and to
ensure that the work of scholars from UMM is known and respected
worldwide.
Second, UMM realizes the mandate to bring the world to their
students and other constituents in all of its cultural and physical
diversity. Courses, researches and instructional programs must

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provide an introduction to the complex global environment. These
activities will be able to help to prepare our students for active
participation in the global economy and society.
The next reason is to maintain a long tradition of aspiring to
social justice and environmental sustainability. UMM has
demonstrated this commitment through active participation in
development projects and educational initiatives that enhance the
capacity of our partner institutions and contribute to progressive
social transformation. To continue this tradition, UMM should also
tries to expand the range of activities beyond the traditional
engagements into other areas. For example, UMM can do it by
developing an interdisciplinary and cross-college collaboration in
research activities that will contribute to the search for solutions to
major global problems (e.g., global environmental change).
The promotion of UMM internationally also has the potential to
generate significant revenues for the institution (through student
fees, research grants and contracts, and donations). Broadening and
deepening our commitment in this field has its cost, however, so
these revenues will need to be reinvested to provide infrastructural
support for globalization.
To initiate an international program, there a number of
activities that can be routes. But, one of the academic activities
that is of highly relevant is by conducting a Student Exchange
Program.

B. Objectives
The mail objective of this program is to make UMM be able to
develop an international exposure and a networking with some

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universities and institutions abroad that is important for the
students themselves personally and for UMM institutionally. So
this program will become an opening door for the initiation of
international cooperation between UMM and other universities and
institution from other countries.
Spefically, this program that can be considered as an
investment for life for the students will be beneficial in many
different and valuable ways. For example, this program will be able
to make the students of UMM learn another language and open
career doors you didn’t know existed; get to know how others live
and come to see the world from another perspective; test and
acquire the students’ independence and maturity; make new
friends and appreciate old ones even more; gain experience and
judgement; and learn about the world first hand

C. Benefits for Students

Students who participate in student exchange program will obtain
some benefits because those students will be able to:
• Broaden personal and educational perspectives
• Explore and appreciate new cultures
• Widen university boundaries
• Learn from different professors
• Experience personal growth
• Live in a different geographic area
• Investigate graduate or professional schools
• Look for future employment opportunities
• Become more independent and resourceful

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D. Types of Activities:
The types of activities of the student exchange program vary
from the simple to the more complicated ones. Those activities
might be in the form of: 1) sit-in, 2) internship, 3) community
service and development; 4) summer job; 5) training and
shadowing; 6) double degree program.

1. Sit-in program
In “sit-in program” what the students of UMM do is simply
joining the teaching learning activities in other university abroad
with similar department. For example, the students of
Psychology Faculty who participate in this program will attend
some classes in psychology in other university abroad. Because
this is a non credit program, the students do not earn any credit
from this program. But they observe and learn how the
students from other countries do their daily academic activities,
expecially in their teaching learning activities.

2. Internships
Different from the sit-in program that is in collaboration
with a university with similar program, internships will be
developed in collaboration with a company abroad that is ready
to accept UMM students to do internship program. But it must
be the one that is in line with the students’ study program. The
students of Management Department, for instance, must have
the internship in the field of management. The students from
Engineering must also have this program in the engineering
field, etc.

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3. Community Service and Development
In community service and development, the students are
assigned to have some community service and development
projects. The projects will be implemented in collaboration either
with a Non Government Organization (NGO) or a partner
university abroad. The projects themselves might be the ones
that are in line with the students’ study program or different. It
is advisable that the projects are in line with their study
program.
The theme of community service and development project
is the eights Millennium Development Goals (MDG) that consist
of: 1) eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; 2) achieveing
universsal primary educations; 3) promoting gender equity and
empowering women; 4) reducing child mortality; 5) improving
maternal health; 6) combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other
diseases; 7) ensuring environmental sustainibility; and 8)
developing a global partnership for development.

4. Summer Job
In summer job, as the name suggests, what the students
do is working within about 4 months in any company abroad,
especially the one in the United States of America (USA). It is not
necessarily in line with the students’ study program because the
main objective of this program is to make UMM students have
the experience work interacting and working with people from
different cultural background. This experience, of course, is very
helpful for them when they have to enter the workplace wherever

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they go. They will not be surprised and stressed when they have
to face and to work with people from different characters and
cultural background.

5. Training and Shadowing

Training and shadowing is aimed at training and providing
an experience of organizing student activities in a university
abroad for the students of UMM who are active in student
organization. These students are supposed to involve in student
activities and always “shadow” what the chiefs of the student
organization do in their daily program. When there is a meeting,
for example, UMM students have to join it. Any student activity
that is relevant must be participated. It is quite possible that
UMM students will also give training for their counterparts
abroad because of their experience in conducting similar
program.

6. Double Degree Programs

Double degree programs are the ideal one of student
exchange activity. As what we all know, with this program, after
their study, UMM students are expected to obtain 2 (two)
degrees: one from UMM and the other one from its counterpart
university abroad. To implement this program, UMM will
struggle to embrace a university partner that agrees to have a
collaboration in “one for one” basis. With basis of agreement,
UMM students do not have to pay the tuition fee higher than the
what they have to do at UMM. If possible, UMM students pay
tuition in UMM standard. The students of counterpart university

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 also in their own standard; the students are charge regularly
without additional payment.

E. Counterpart Universities
The counterpart universities are the ones from the countries
where UMM already has a collaboration such as Malaysia, Brunai
Darussalam, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, France,
etc.

F. Cost Sharing
This program is implemented on the basis of cost sharing
among some parties such UMM, Indonesian government, students
themselves, and other parties who are voluntarily ready to
participate in this program.

G. Closing
Whether this program is successful or not, it depends a lot on
the participation of the involved parties. When it is well
implemented, UMM will get the benefit in the form of competitive
advantage as a university with international exposure.
For further communication, the contact person in charge of
this program is as follows:
Mr. Soeparto
Assistant Rector for International Relations
University of Muhammadiyah Malang
Jl. Raya Tlogomas 246 Malang 65144
East Java – Indonesia
Phone/Fax: +62 341 460435
Mobile Phone: +62 8123368597
Email: soeparto@umm.ac.id
partoumm@yahoo.com

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