Jogjakarta, 23 Nov. – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), in collaboration with Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), successfully organised the UTM–UGM International Leadership Program 2025 themed “Leadership: Building a Better Future through Community, Culture and Sustainability.” The programme was held in Yogyakarta from 23 to 29 November 2025 and involved selected 10 International Student Societies (ISS) representatives, two Global Buddies and five student leaders from both institutions.
The programme began with an orientation and campus tour at UGM, facilitated by the UGM Buddy Club. Participants were introduced to UGM’s international initiatives during a session led by Dr Tyas Ikhsan Hikmawan, Head of the Office of International Affairs (OIA) UGM, who gave an insight into UGM at a glance, life in Yogyakarta, and international opportunities like exchange programmes, internships, research and KKN International. Mrs Norfaeza Ali, the manager of Student Experience Unit from UTM International, was also being given chance to gave a warm thank you speech and share the objectives of this leadership camp as to strengthen international collaboration and networking, enhance leadership competencies, encourage cultural immersion and intercultural understanding and at the end of the programme, being able to build global perspective and career readiness.
The scholarly part proceeded with the lecture by a lecturer on Indonesian society and culture, Dr Achmad Munjid from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. The session gave the participants a basic knowledge of Indonesian social values, cultural diversity, and local wisdom and then the interactive session that included a question-answer session.
To further facilitate the level of interaction, the participants participated in a discussion group with the UGM Buddy Club, where the UGM buddies and international students were involved. The session fostered cross-cultural interaction and collaboration through group-based interaction, which reinforced the interpersonal relationships among the participants.
A lecture on Community-Based Environmental Leadership for Sustainable Urban Development was delivered by Prof. Ir. Bakti Setiawan from the Faculty of Engineering, UGM. Participants later undertook a field visit to the Code River Bank Community (Kali Code) to observe community-driven sustainability practices.
The next day was devoted to local wisdom and sustainability, and Lecture 3: Empowering Local Wisdom, Transforming Indigenous Resources into Global Possibilities by Dr Purwanto of the Faculty of Pharmacy, UGM. This was accompanied by a practical workshop on the formulation of traditional beverages, which gave the participants first-hand experience with the indigenous knowledge systems. The fieldwork and learning experience were followed by the traditional production of the drinks, waste management practices, and sustainability efforts of PIAT Berbah, where the participants got acquainted with the traditional production of the drinks.
To enrich cultural understanding, participants took part in cultural activities at Rumah Budaya Tembi, including gamelan music, batik-making and clay art and pottery. These activities strengthened intercultural engagement and mutual understanding among participants.
The programme concluded with participants gaining valuable insights into leadership, sustainability and cross-cultural collaboration. The initiative reflects UTM’s commitment to internationalisation and to developing globally competent student leaders.
