The International Office of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon Conducts a Strategic Coordination with ICCCM for a Transformative Academic Exchange Program with Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Cirebon, November 4, 2025 – The International Office of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon (UINSSC) held a decisive coordination meeting with the International Cultural Communication Center Malaysia (ICCCM) to finalize preparations for the upcoming international student mobility program for the Faculty of Dakwah and Islamic Communication (FDKI). This in-person exchange (set to send a select cohort of students to Malaysia in the upcoming week) marks a historic step in UINSSC’s internationalization strategy, transforming long-term planning into tangible cross-border learning opportunities. A distinctive feature of the program includes a formal presentation session where the selected students will introduce their academic interests and preliminary research ideas directly to faculty members at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), serving as both an orientation exercise and a platform to build early academic rapport with their host institution.
Leading the UINSSC delegation was Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D., Director of the International Office, who emphasized the cultural and academic significance of the students’ upcoming engagement in Malaysia, “When our students stand before USIM professors, they represent the intellectual aspirations of UINSSC as a globally engaged Islamic university.” His guidance shaped the meeting’s focus on professional readiness, cross-cultural communication, and academic etiquette, ensuring that the cohort arrives in Malaysia not as passive visitors, but as proactive learners and future collaborators in the field of Islamic communication. Representing the student cohort were Tsamarah Bahira Alzena, Alya Darojatul, Siti Hamidah, and Faika Maudina. Tsamarah Bahira Alzena, who serves as a member of the Global Engagement Team (Student Intern at International Office), her involvement in the meeting highlights the International Office’s practice of integrating student voices directly into program development, especially when those students will be part of the mobility cohort.
A significant portion of the discussion focused on the upcoming presentation session with USIM professors, which will serve as the students’ formal academic introduction in Malaysia. The team agreed that this moment should reflect both individual preparation and institutional pride, with students articulating their academic motivations and areas of interest in Islamic communication. The session is not a performance but a dialogue, intended to initiate mentorship and academic connection from day one. Preparations will include rehearsal opportunities and mentoring from the International Office to ensure students feel confident and supported. This careful attention to the human dimension of academic exchange underscores UINSSC’s holistic view of international mobility.
As co-organizer of the initiative through its partnership with The International Transnational Education Association (ITEA), UINSSC is ensuring that this mobility program adheres to international best practices in student exchange, balancing academic development, personal growth, and intercultural competence. The integration of USIM early in the process, beginning with the presentation session, sets a collaborative tone that extends beyond the mobility period itself, potentially leading to joint research, future faculty collaboration, or even degree pathway discussions. Moreover, the experience is designed to feed back into UINSSC’s broader internationalization framework, with returning students expected to share insights through peer mentorship and campus storytelling activities.
This mobility program represents more than a short-term exchange, it is a strategic investment in human capital, institutional reputation, and regional academic solidarity. As Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. noted in closing, “When our students step onto USIM’s campus, they carry Cirebon in their hearts and global curiosity in their minds. That is how we truly become Unggul Mendunia, excellent, connected, and purposeful.” Through this initiative, UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon continues to turn vision into lived experience, one student journey at a time.
Author: Resa Diah Gayatri