Septiani Lu’luatul, as Intern at UIN SSC International Office, Champions Cultural Understanding and Global Dialogue as Moderator of the 2025 Cirebon Culture Workshop for SN-GES International Scholars
Cirebon, September, 11th 2025 — In the official International Office room on the 5th floor of the Cyber Building at UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon, the orientation agenda for the Syekh Nurjati Global Excellent Scholarship (SN-GES) 2025 cohort featured a special “Cirebon Culture” workshop initiated under the leadership of Lala Bumela, Director of the International Office. The workshop was designed to introduce the rich local heritage of Cirebon to the university’s newest international awardees. It gathered students from the Philippines, Thailand, Senegal, and Yemen, while several Nigerian scholars were unable to attend due to the ongoing conflict in their home country and the resulting immigration delays. Acting as moderator was Septiani Lu’luatul Fajriyah—known affectionately as Lulu—an intern at the International Office who played a central role in guiding the session and connecting the audience with the speaker, Mr. Syarifuddin, S.S., Head of the Communication Team in the Protocol and Communication Division of the Cirebon City Secretariat. Reflecting on the effort of his team at the start of the event, Lala Bumela stated, “Seeing our interns like Lulu take the lead in connecting international scholars with the culture of Cirebon is exactly the kind of dedication and global-mindedness that makes the Global Engagement Team so valuable to this university.”
For Lulu, this assignment was more than simply reading a script; it was about building a bridge between cultures. “I felt honored to stand between the speaker and our international scholars, to translate the warmth of Cirebon’s traditions into a conversation they could engage with,” Lulu reflected after the session. She explained that moderating required her to navigate differences in accent, expectation, and etiquette while ensuring that the discussion remained interactive and meaningful. In her view, the workshop demonstrated how an orientation program could do more than transmit information—it could begin weaving a fabric of shared understanding that would support the students throughout their academic journey at UIN SSC.
Lala Bumela was quick to recognize this contribution. “It is a matter of pride to see an intern like Lulu become a connector in the Cirebon Culture workshop,” he said during the evaluation meeting afterward. His remarks underscored a larger point: that the International Office’s success in internationalization depends not only on its policies but also on the energy, empathy, and professionalism of young people like Lulu who turn those policies into real experiences for students. By highlighting Lulu’s performance, Lala Bumela signaled to the entire Global Engagement Team that their roles were integral to the university’s global mission.
The workshop itself reflected the International Office’s holistic approach to orientation. Beyond administrative briefings, it sought to ground the SN-GES 2025 scholars in the local culture, offering them not just academic preparation but a sense of belonging. Lulu’s moderation contributed to a rhythm of openness and interaction, enabling the scholars to ask questions, share their own cultural analogies, and see Cirebon not merely as a backdrop but as a living context for their studies. This experience, in turn, strengthened the International Office’s credibility as a facilitator of meaningful intercultural dialogue.
For Lulu personally, the experience added a new dimension to her internship. It challenged her to develop public-speaking confidence, intercultural sensitivity, and real-time problem solving—all skills essential for a career in global education management. She remarked afterward that she came away with a clearer sense of how moderation is not just about keeping time or reading a program but about listening, adapting, and connecting. The workshop gave her a front-row seat to the university’s internationalization efforts and a chance to contribute actively to their success.
Closing the day’s activities, Lala Bumela once again emphasized the importance of interns like Lulu to the university’s global engagement. “You have shown that even as students, you can embody the values of our theme—chasing dreams, pursuing knowledge, and becoming architects of wisdom in a cyber era,” he told the GET team. “As we move forward to the campus tour and future events, carry this spirit with you. You are not only assisting; you are shaping the very way UIN SSC interacts with the world.” His words turned a single workshop into a milestone for Lulu and the Global Engagement Team, affirming that their contributions were both recognized and vital to the ongoing success of the SN-GES 2025 orientation.
Author: Muhammad Azkiya Bahtsulkhoir