Highly global competitiveness occurs in all fields; indeed, the competitiveness in an era of Industrial Revolution 4.0 requires certain skills. To prepare for students to confront it, Department of Religious Education of Islam of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) collaborates with the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. Both parties signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday (16/11) at A.R. Fachruddin Building of UMY.

The MoU encompassed enhancement of a teaching program (PPL) carried out by students of the department at Sekolah Indonesia Luar Negeri (SILN), particularly Sekolah Indonesia in Bangkok.

Rector of UMY Dr. Ir. Gunawan Budiyanto, M.P. stated that the cooperation enables students to expand their networking, experience, and ability. “Many foreign workers have been working in a number of areas in Indonesia. Thus, we have to equip our students with professionally international networking fore encountering the global competitiveness. At the teaching program, students can apply their soft skills and practice their English as a medium of communication in a new environment,” he declared.

Gunawan added that the teaching practice can be a means of showing Islamic principles as a way of life and rahmatan lil ‘alamiin (a mercy to the worlds). “The program is a medium to promote Islam internationally, and the program is in accordance with Islamic teaching, competing in goodness,” he maintained.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Education and Culture Attaché in Bangkok Prof. Dr. Mustari, M.Pd. welcomed the UMY students. “We will seek to facilitate students to utilize this occasion to learn and implement their knowledge. In fact, a visa-free program for a 30-day visit issued by Thailand eases students’ activities,” he told.

Mustari inserted that UMY has contributed to diplomacy of Indonesian government. “UMY also becomes a diplomatic actor by cooperating with educational institutions in Thailand. The cooperation brings positive impacts on Indonesian diplomacy,” he ended.