SURABAYA, May 19 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Universiti Malaya (UM) successfully collaborated with Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) on the Gathering and Academic Excursion for Deeper Understanding of Southeast Asia (GARUDA) Programme, which was held over five days from 4 to 8 May 2026.

This interdisciplinary programme involved 12 Landscape Architecture students from the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FABU), UTM, together with three students from the Faculty of Nursing (FoN), UM and nine student buddies from the Faculty of Humanities (FIB), UNAIR.

The programme was facilitated by the Vice Dean for Research, Innovation, and Community Development of UNAIR, Dr. Dewi Meyrasyawati, along with her team members, who warmly welcomed the UTM and UM delegations and expressed enthusiasm for future collaborative initiatives.

The GARUDA Programme is a newly launched flagship programme that invites international students from across the globe, beginning with Malaysia, to promote the preservation of Javanese cultural heritage through a series of lectures and site visits around Surabaya.

Five lectures were delivered during the programme by Dr. Norliza Mohd Isa and Dr. Rohana Mohd Firdaus from UTM; Nor Azian Awaludin from UM, as well as Dr. David Segoh and Prof. Diah Ariani Arimbi from UNAIR.

Each lecture offered different perspectives on culture and livelihoods, broadening the students’ knowledge and understanding.

Two indoor activities, Batik Making and the Remo Traditional Dance, along with nine site visits, exposed students to the cultural fusion present within Surabaya’s communities and urban environments.

The visits included the 10 November Museum, Submarine Monument, Kalimas Boat Ride Tour, Tunjungan Street, Kampung Peneleh, Cheng Ho Mosque, Kepanjen Church, Ampel Mosque and Boen Bio Temple.

Through these visits, students experienced the richness and diversity of local culture through historical storytelling, social interactions with the communities, tasting local foods, and immersing themselves in places where the genius loci strongly exist.

The programme provided valuable practical insights into how spaces are transformed into meaningful places, positioning the students as future landscape architects capable of designing and conserving landscape resources.

The GARUDA Programme concluded with student presentations conducted in five groups, during which participants shared the knowledge and experiences they had gained throughout the programme while dressed in traditional Malay attire.

Their reflections deeply moved Dr. Dewi, her team members, and the student buddies, who were overwhelmed with joy while watching the videos compiled by each group.

The videos highlighted the students’ new exposure and knowledge, including their interpretations of how the experience had benefited their academic and personal development.

The presentations also fostered dynamic exchanges of perspectives, particularly from UM students pursuing nursing studies, enriching the interdisciplinary nature of the programme.

The GARUDA Programme demonstrated how culture serves not only as a valuable archive of memories and identity, but also as a source of inspiration for communities seeking motivation from histories rooted in the struggle for independence from colonial powers.

Beyond academic exchange, the collaboration fostered friendships and strengthened bonds that may pave the way for future interdisciplinary efforts towards sustainable development in Southeast Asia.