The Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), warmly welcomed 81 international students for the odd semester of the 2025/2026 academic year during the Orientation Day event held at the Alumni Corner on Monday (August 11). These students consist of undergraduate and master’s program students joining dual degree and student exchange programs for the next one to two semesters.
In addition to the 81 students from partner universities abroad, FEB UGM welcomed eight full-degree international students this semester. They come from Chile, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Cambodia, and are enrolled in the Master of Accounting, Master of Development Economics, and Master of Management programs.
Bayu Sutikno, S.E., M.S.M., Ph.D., Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs of FEB UGM, expressed his delight in welcoming students from 22 countries representing 31 of FEB UGM’s international partner universities. Among the 81 international students, 65 are in undergraduate programs and 16 are in master’s programs.
“This reflects the strong reputation of FEB UGM in the eyes of our international partner universities. We will continue to strengthen engagement with our global partners,” he said.
He encouraged the students to make the most of their time in Yogyakarta: “Enjoy your experience here not only studying but also making friends and exploring destinations. You came to this campus as ambassadors of your home country and university. After completing your studies and returning home, you will also become FEB UGM and Indonesia ambassadors. See you as the Indonesian ambassador,” he added.
The Orientation Day serves as an introduction to FEB UGM for international students. Through this event, they were briefed on academic programs at FEB UGM, the learning process, educational administration, campus regulations, and the FEB Ways. The students were introduced to the local culture, learning environment, campus facilities, and on- and off-campus traffic regulations.
RR. Tur Nastiti, M.Si., Ph.D., a Management lecturer at FEB UGM, gave a presentation on Indonesian culture, focusing particularly on the value of collectivism deeply rooted in Indonesian society. She emphasized the importance of respecting the culture of the host country.
Elana Gupffert from the University of Groningen said she gained a lot of insight from the session. For her, Orientation Day provided a wealth of information about studying at FEB UGM.
“It was very informative. I had a lot of technical questions beforehand, but they went away after I joined this event. Everything was set up nicely. It was exciting, and I enjoyed interacting with the locals. I’m also looking forward to learning more about Indonesian culture,” she said.
Roeland Kersten from Erasmus University Rotterdam shared a similar sentiment. From the campus orientation, he learned about academic life at FEB UGM and Indonesian culture, especially in Yogyakarta.
“So far, it’s been excellent because we learned a lot about culture. I think we can gain plenty of information from this event. It’s important to get cultural tips such as understanding Indonesian culture and how to behave in public, because adapting can be quite challenging,” he said.
Following Orientation Day, these international students will participate in the Cultural Immersion Day (CID) on Wednesday (August 12) at Borobudur Temple, Central Java. Through CID, students will be introduced to Indonesian culture, particularly Yogyakarta and its surroundings.
Reporter: Shofi Hawa Anjani
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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