Makassar (ANTARA) - Six-University Initiative Japan Indonesia (SUIJI) is a consortium among three universities from Indonesia (Hasanuddin University, IPB University, and Gadjah Mada University) and three universities from Japan (Ehime University, Kagawa University, and Kochi University). One of the programs of SUIJI is the Service Learning Program (SLP), in which undergraduate students from the six universities mentioned above can participate.
The 23 participating students, eight from Ehime University, one from Kagawa University, one from Kochi University, and 13 from Hasanuddin University, stayed at the site for five days and one day in the city of Rantepao, Toraja.
In UNHAS, the SLP is performed by providing some sessions before the field trip to Toraja. In addition, the Secretary of the International Office of UNHAS, Muhammad Ridwan, M.A., presented an orientation for the students by giving information about the university on February 27, 2023.
After the orientation, they headed to Toraja, stayed for about three weeks in the rural villages, and learned together, transcending differences in languages, cultures, and expertise while tackling issues facing the local community.
These activities aim to foster SUIJI Servant Leaders (leaders who contribute to their local communities) who have a global perspective and contribute to creating a sustainable future at the local level.
The site is in Lembang Sesean Suloara, Sesean Sub-District, North Toraja Regency. On the Toraja site, students chose coffee farmers as their activity center. They decided on the theme of "Regeneration of Coffee Farmers."
At the site, students joined the daily activities of the local people and studied coffee from upstream to downstream and how coffee cherries undergo a long line of processing to become the cup of coffee they drink.
As the students continued their activities, they realized that coffee and the culture around coffee farmers are inseparable.
Thus they also studied the culture of the coffee farmers, which is the Toraja culture. They asked the coffee farmers about their cultures, daily lives, families, and coffee and its connection with their lives. At the end of the program, they made a book as a memorial and lesson for other people to see the activities at the Toraja site.
