Canberra, August 11, 2025 – Lydia Kusdyanti Iasya, an English Education student from the Faculty of Language and Literature Education (FPBS), and Venus Zauhair Amru, a student of the International Program on Science Education (IPSE) from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education (FPMIPA) at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), represented UPI in the 2025 Australia Teacher Assistant Program. They participated in a series of international academic activities in Canberra, Australia, in early August 2025, including school visits, conferences, and workshops focusing on language teaching and strengthening teacher competencies at the global level.

One of the key agendas was a visit to St. Clare of Assisi School, where Lydia and Venus, accompanied by Prof. Yuli Rahmawati, Education and Cultural Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, were warmly welcomed by Mrs. Margo Smith, an Indonesian language teacher at the school. The meeting served as a platform to exchange insights on Indonesian language teaching in Australian schools and explore opportunities for cross-country educational collaboration.

They also attended a Mini Conference at Burgman Anglican School, organized by the Modern Language Teachers’ Association. The event featured two main sessions: Foundation of Comprehensible Input (CI) Skills with Mei Turnip and AI Tools for Language Teachers with Myriam Davies and Gaelle Pajot.

In addition, Lydia and Venus took part in a workshop entitled Building on Students’ Strengths: How can you build on the linguistic resources of multilingual and multidialectal students in your classroom, facilitated by Dr. Jacqueline D’warte. The workshop was organized by the Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ATESOL) and held at Sacred Heart School, Canberra.

These activities align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education, which emphasizes enhancing educator skills, ensuring equitable access to education, and strengthening competencies in multilingual and multicultural contexts. Through their participation, Lydia and Venus not only broadened their academic perspectives but also served as education ambassadors for Indonesia, fostering global collaboration in language teaching. (contributor)