BANDUNG, UPI – Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) has officially strengthened its international student collaboration network by hosting a student delegation from Malaysian universities under the “Mesra” Program.
This collaboration involves students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) as the initiator, alongside Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and Universiti Teknologi Petronas, working together with UPI students as the hosts.
The Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Alumni, and Business at UPI, Prof. Dr. phil. Yudi Sukmayadi, M.Pd., warmly welcomed the Malaysian delegation. He emphasized that this international collaboration is a strategic step in fostering student leadership on a global scale.
“This International ‘Mesra’ Collaboration activity is an excellent initiative. It serves not only as a means of international fellowship (silaturahmi) but is also expected to formulate a framework for student leadership development at the international level,” said Prof. Yudi.
He added that the program aligns with UPI’s vision to prepare students as future leaders who care about society and the environment, while being capable of contributing to national development.
The Malaysian delegation was led by Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Che Ghani bin Che Kob, Chief/Principal of the Off-Campus Residential College at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.
Strengthening Community Service and Student Benchmarking
The Director of the Directorate of Student Affairs at UPI, Prof. Dr. Siti Nurbayani K, M.Si., explained that the event is packaged as an international volunteering program combined with scientific activities and student leadership development.
She noted that the term “Mesra” in Malay stands for “Mahasiswa Bersama Masyarakat” (Students with the Community), which serves as the core spirit of the program.
“The ‘Mesra’ Collaboration Program is an international activity based on volunteerism or community service,” Prof. Siti Nurbayani clarified.
Through this program, UPI hopes that international collaborations will continue to thrive and serve as a model of best practice for student development based on community service and global partnerships.