How Trainees of the IO UIN SSC Adapt, Execute, and Deliver Strategic Tasks in Real Time
Cirebon, July 2 2025 — In a university ecosystem that envisions global readiness as a foundational quality, the International Office (IO) of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon has initiated an intensive early-stage training program designed to equip undergraduates with the core skills of international academic engagement. Guided by the strategic framework established by Lala Bumela, Ph.D., Director of the International Office, this initiative marks a critical step in cultivating institutional self-sufficiency and operational precision. The selected trainees—Azizatul Fikriyah Al Qory, Cindi Aulia, Muthie’ah Umuril Adyan, Nok Dini Wulan Ramadani, Nurul Istiqomah, and Wulan Putri Islami—are second-semester students from the English Language Teaching Department, who have shown remarkable potential and a strong commitment to organizational learning. As Lala Bumela, Ph.D. emphasized during the session, “Leadership in global education begins with disciplined learning. These young scholars are not just observing—they are building the operational intelligence our institution needs to thrive internationally.”
The structured training, which includes both theoretical orientation and hands-on assignments, was facilitated under the mentorship of Tsamara Bahira, a senior member of the Global Engagement Team (GET). The curriculum exposed trainees to the core administrative, technical, and creative tasks typically managed by GET members—from drafting press releases and institutional documentation to producing digital content and supporting international events. More importantly, they were introduced to the logic of IO systems: how precision in task execution undergirds the credibility of academic diplomacy. “We are not merely preparing them to assist,” said Tsamara Bahira, “We are positioning them to innovate. I can already see their potential to lead future international collaborations with both competence and care.”
The experience has also left a profound impact on the trainees themselves. They were encouraged to reflect on the responsibilities entrusted to them and articulate their aspirations. “This is not just training—it’s a transformation,” stated Azizatul Fikriyah Al Qory, one of the participants. “I now understand how even the smallest details—like how a press release is structured or how a visual is framed—play a key role in building the university’s presence on the global stage. Being here motivates me to push further and contribute more meaningfully.” Such reflections indicate the strength of IO’s strategy: aligning technical assignments with cognitive empowerment and aspirational clarity.
At its core, the training represents a praxis of higher education that merges administrative literacy with ethical responsibility. The real-time nature of the assignments—supporting ongoing projects and managing live data—forces participants to calibrate speed with accuracy, communication with discretion, and innovation with institutional integrity. This environment, while high in expectation, has been designed with a scaffolding approach, where mentorship is continuous and peer collaboration is essential. The choice to integrate early-year students into such impactful responsibilities underscores the Office’s belief that global competence is not an end-state, but a culture to be fostered from the outset.
By embedding them in authentic institutional workflows, the International Office is building a pipeline of capable young professionals who will eventually populate its key teams and external collaborations. The hope is not merely to produce contributors, but to nurture long-term knowledge workers who can represent the university’s identity with confidence, humility, and intellectual clarity. The success of this cohort, both individually and collectively, will mark a turning point in how the university conceptualizes student participation—not as passive receivers of direction, but as critical co-authors of institutional progress.
Reflecting on the broader objective of the program, Lala Bumela, Ph.D. remarked: “We are cultivating roots, not just branches. Like rhizomes, their growth may be invisible at first, but once strengthened, it will support a whole forest of future collaborations. These trainees are not only part of a pilot—they are the very foundation of our international legacy.” As the training continues in subsequent phases, the university community watches with anticipation, knowing that excellence, when nurtured early, echoes far into the future.
Author: Muhammad Azkiya Bahtsulkhoir