The Meeting of Minds and Missions: IO UIN SSC Discusses AsiaCALL 2025 Readiness and INNOLIVILAGE Sustainability Efforts in Sagarahiang
Cirebon, October, 18th 2025 — On Saturday morning, October 18th, 2025, an internal meeting was held at the International Office and Partnership Room, 5th floor of the Cyber Building, UIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon. The meeting, led by Lala Bumela, Ph.D., Director of the International Office, brought together the Global Engagement Team to discuss two major agendas: the administrative and rehearsal preparations for AsiaCALL 2025, and the sustainability development initiative under INNOLIVILAGE by Telkom University Indonesia. The program aims to expand the university’s contribution beyond the academic sphere by developing a sustainable community model in Sagarahiang Village, Kuningan. Lala’s visionary leadership connected the dots between international collaboration and local empowerment, ensuring that global missions are rooted in real social contexts. As he stated, “A university must not only aim to go global—it must also return to its roots, empowering the communities that shaped its existence.”
However, the meeting was not without challenges. The team encountered several difficulties in aligning the AsiaCALL 2025 timeline with the INNOLIVILAGE project schedule. Some administrative requirements had to be revised, particularly those involving logistics, budgeting, and cross-departmental coordination. Moreover, the Sagarahiang development plan required more data on the local community’s needs, which could not be immediately collected due to limited field access. Despite these constraints, the team remained optimistic. The tension was not a sign of failure but a natural part of transformation. The complexity of managing two large-scale projects simultaneously—one global, one local—tested the endurance and creativity of the IO team. Yet, they understood that sustainability is not built overnight; it is cultivated through consistency, collaboration, and continuous problem-solving.
In the middle of the discussion, Lala Bumela addressed the team with a sense of calm authority, reminding them of the greater mission that tied all their efforts together. “What we are doing here is not just organizing events,” he said, “it’s about building a system where education breathes beyond the classroom walls. AsiaCALL prepares us for the world stage, but INNOLIVILAGE brings the world closer to our villages.” His words shifted the atmosphere of the room—what began as a technical meeting turned into a reflective moment. Each member began to realize that their administrative tasks were not just bureaucratic duties but building blocks of a living, sustainable ecosystem where learning, service, and innovation coexist.
Following that inspiration, the IO team began to map out clearer strategies. The AsiaCALL 2025 preparation was divided into task clusters—committee coordination, document management, guest liaison, and rehearsal schedules. Meanwhile, for the INNOLIVILAGE program, a sub-team was assigned to collaborate directly with Telkom University’s representatives and the Sagarahiang local leaders. They planned initiatives such as digital literacy training, green economy development, and eco-based educational workshops. This approach allowed the team to apply the same professional values used in international conferences to the local development context. The meeting became a space where technology, education, and humanity converged—a small but significant manifestation of UIN SSC’s vision as a cyber-Islamic university that serves both the global and local spheres.
By the end of the session, the discussion resulted in a concrete action plan and a renewed sense of unity among the team members. They agreed to conduct a field visit to Sagarahiang to assess environmental and educational potentials before launching the sustainability program. The AsiaCALL 2025 committee, on the other hand, would begin its final rehearsal two weeks prior to the event. Lala’s closing remarks captured the spirit of resolution: “When you balance local action with global intention, you don’t divide your mission—you amplify it. This is how education becomes sustainable.” The message strengthened the team’s commitment, turning what once felt like separate tasks into an integrated framework of purpose-driven work.
As the meeting concluded, the essence of collaboration became clear: sustainability is not a project, but a mindset. The International Office of UIN SSC had demonstrated that internationalization and local empowerment can coexist harmoniously when guided by vision and empathy. In his final reflection, Lala Bumela, Ph.D. summarized the moral of their mission: “True sustainability is not measured by how long a project lasts, but by how deeply it transforms the people involved.” His words echoed through the room, leaving the team not only with a plan but with a purpose. Through INNOLIVILAGE, UIN SSC continues to bridge knowledge and compassion, proving that the meeting of minds and missions can indeed create a sustainable future for both campus and community.
Author: Muhammad Azkiya Bahtsulkhoir