The Prelude to AsiaCALL 2025: Lala Bumela, Ph.D., Inspires the Global Engagement Team to Compose the Harmony of Global Learning
Cirebon, October, 8th 2025 — As the countdown to AsiaCALL 2025 continues, Lala Bumela, Ph.D., Director of the International Office and Partnership UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon (UIN SSC) and Chairperson of AsiaCALL 2025 (Indonesia), convened a crucial coordination meeting with the Global Engagement Team (GET), the core team of the International Office and Partnership UIN SSC, which has been the driving force behind the university’s international programs and global engagements. The meeting focused on the comprehensive preparation of the AsiaCALL 2025 Pre-Conference, which features a workshop with Prof. Andrew Lian, Ph.D. (President of AsiaCALL) and Ania Lian, Ph.D. (Vice President of AsiaCALL), as well as a Capacity Building Workshop dedicated to improving student presenters’ public speaking, conference readiness, and teamwork. The discussion also included technical coordination, media preparation, and scheduling for the upcoming AsiaCALL International Conference, set to take place in November 2025. Throughout the meeting, Lala Bumela emphasized the importance of harmony within the team — a value that not only strengthens internal coordination but also reflects the spirit of global learning. “A great conference begins with a great team,” said Lala Bumela, “and harmony among us is the melody that will make AsiaCALL sing across the world.” His statement inspired the GET to work not merely as organizers, but as collaborative composers of an academic symphony that resonates internationally.
However, behind the growing excitement lies the complexity of managing an international academic event of such scale. With only a small yet highly dedicated team, the International Office faces numerous challenges, from administrative coordination to time management. Balancing academic duties with committee responsibilities has not been easy for the GET members, who are also active students. The pre-conference preparations involve intricate arrangements: confirming international speakers, finalizing technical rehearsals, and ensuring synchronization between the digital and physical platforms. Despite these challenges, the team remains committed to excellence, reflecting UIN SSC’s core values of discipline, collaboration, and integrity. The process has taught everyone involved that challenges are not barriers, but stepping stones toward collective growth. The beauty of preparation, as they have come to realize, lies not only in achieving perfection but in embracing the learning process behind it.
During the discussion, Lala Bumela shared a moment of reflection that resonated deeply with the team. He reminded them that the success of AsiaCALL 2025 does not solely depend on technical perfection, but on the sincerity and unity of purpose among its members. “You must think of this event not as a task, but as a message,” he said, “a message from Indonesia to the world — that our students are capable of leading global dialogues with integrity, creativity, and empathy.” His words carried an emotional weight that rekindled the GET’s motivation, shifting their focus from pressure to purpose. Many students felt encouraged, realizing that they were not just managing logistics but contributing to a meaningful narrative: representing Indonesia’s educational excellence on an international platform. Through his mentoring approach, Lala Bumela turned the meeting into a learning experience — a classroom without walls where leadership, communication, and humanity merged into one shared lesson.
As preparations advance, the GET has been refining every detail of the pre-conference events. Digital and design divisions are developing visual materials to represent the theme “AI in Language Education: Between Innovation and Integrity”, while academic teams are curating workshop guidelines and communication protocols with international participants. The media team ensures that the event’s coverage meets international publication standards, using both creative storytelling and technical precision. Coordination with Prof. Andrew Lian and Ania Lian continues smoothly through online meetings, reflecting the transnational collaboration that defines AsiaCALL’s identity. Furthermore, mentorship sessions are being planned for student presenters, ensuring that their participation in the main conference will reflect not just linguistic skill, but also intellectual confidence. In this process, the GET learns that global engagement is not built overnight — it is a symphony of patience, passion, and professionalism orchestrated over time.
With each meeting, the vision of AsiaCALL 2025 becomes clearer. The team now moves with stronger confidence, aware that their work contributes to something greater than a single event. For the International Office, this prelude represents not just a preparation phase but a defining moment in UIN SSC’s journey toward becoming a globally recognized institution. The collaboration with AsiaCALL leaders, international speakers, and local academics symbolizes an intellectual bridge — one that connects cultures, methodologies, and aspirations. Through its involvement in AsiaCALL, UIN SSC reaffirms its position as a center of innovation and academic diplomacy in the digital era. The harmony within the team mirrors the harmony that AsiaCALL itself seeks to cultivate among educators and learners across nations: a shared pursuit of knowledge guided by mutual respect and global awareness.
As the meeting concluded, a sense of unity filled the room — not merely as a result of planning, but as an echo of purpose. The Global Engagement Team, under the guidance of Lala Bumela, has grown beyond its administrative role into a model of academic leadership for peers across Indonesia. Reflecting on the meeting, Lala Bumela offered closing remarks that encapsulated the entire spirit of the journey: “When we work with harmony, we are not just preparing for a conference — we are composing the rhythm of global learning itself.” His message reminded the team that their contribution transcends the boundaries of event organization. It is an act of intellectual artistry, where every voice matters, every effort harmonizes, and every dream finds its place in the collective melody of AsiaCALL 2025.
Author: Muhammad Azkiya Bahtsulkhoir