From November 20–22, 2024, Florinesya Zahwa Raihania, a student from the English Department, participated in the prestigious ASEAN Youth Conference (AYC). Since its inception in 2018, the AYC has served as a flagship program of the ASEAN Youth Organization (AYO), empowering youth voices in regional dialogues. AYO’s vision centers on fostering positive change and promoting inclusive development across ASEAN. This year’s theme, “Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience for Our Shared Future,” underscores the importance of collaboration and adaptability in a rapidly changing world.

The conference, through panel discussions, workshops, and collaborative sessions, provided participants an opportunity to contribute to the creation of an ASEAN Youth Vision. This vision will be presented to the ASEAN Secretariat, influencing future policy-making processes.

Passion Meets Opportunity

Florinesya’s decision to join AYC stemmed from her deep interest in culture, communication, and regional dynamics. She felt the event aligned seamlessly with her academic pursuits and her personal goal of fostering cross-border collaboration among youth, starting with the ASEAN community.

Reflecting on her experience, Florinesya described the application process as both rigorous and rewarding. Participants were required to submit a detailed personal statement outlining their achievements, aspirations, and motivation for attending. A selection phase followed, where candidates were assessed on their academic backgrounds and visions for contributing to the conference’s objectives.

“Preparing for the conference meant researching current ASEAN issues, understanding the event’s theme, and reflecting on how my perspective as a youth could add value to the discussions,” Florinesya shared. “It required dedication, critical thinking, and stepping out of my comfort zone, but it was a deeply enriching journey that made me more confident and equipped to engage with a diverse group of peers.”

The Conference Experience

Held in Jakarta, the three-day event brought together 80 youth leaders and changemakers from ASEAN and beyond.

The opening day featured welcoming remarks from prominent figures, including representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat and officials from Lao PDR. These speeches were followed by a panel discussion and open forum addressing ASEAN’s three pillars: the Political-Security Community (APSC), Economic Community (AEC), and Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). These sessions laid the groundwork for meaningful conversations about ASEAN’s priorities and future opportunities.

The second day delved into deeper engagement through workshops and open forums. Florinesya joined the breakout room focused on the ASCC pillar, which aligns with her passion for fostering socio-cultural connectivity.

“In this session, we participated in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to draft the ASEAN Youth Vision Paper,” she explained. “Collaborating with passionate peers, we brainstormed innovative ideas and actionable solutions to address ASEAN’s socio-cultural challenges. The discussions emphasized inclusivity, resilience, and connectivity.”

The final day culminated with the presentation of the vision papers at the ASEAN Headquarters. Following this, participants explored Jakarta’s cultural heritage with a visit to the Museum Tekstil, where they engaged in batik-making workshops. The event closed with a vibrant cultural night dinner, where participants donned traditional attire, celebrating diversity and fostering lasting connections.

Reflections and Aspirations

Florinesya described her AYC experience as transformative. It expanded her knowledge of regional issues, strengthened her leadership and communication skills, and connected her with talented peers from across ASEAN and beyond.

“The experience deepened my understanding of cultural diversity and the value of collaborative efforts in solving shared challenges,” she said.

Looking ahead, Florinesya expressed her aspirations to leverage this experience to inspire and empower youth to create meaningful change. “In the future, I plan to immerse myself more in international environments where I can apply what I’ve learned. I hope to contribute to initiatives promoting sustainability, education, and cultural exchange, paving the way for a brighter, more inclusive future.”

Photo credits: Florinesya Zahwa Raihania (first picture), ASEAN Youth Organization (second and third picture).

SGDs 4: Quality Education| SGDs 5: Gender Equality | SGDs 5: Empowerment of Women|  SGDs 10: Reduced Inequalities | SGDs 17: Fostering Innovation

Bulan Churniati, an English Department student batch 2021, achieved the Penghargaan Favorit Pemilihan Mahasiswa Berprestasi UGM 2024 awards on Pemilihan Mahasiswa Berprestasi UGM 2024 event. Before receiving this award, Bulan accomplished many achievements, for example, the winner of Digital Entrepreneurship Hackathon 2023 by held UNESCO UNITWIN in South Korea, the third place in the national competition Publicly Digital Legal Innovation 2023 held by Oleco, dan became the ambassador of Millennial KAMI Foundation x Tjorak Sorai 2023.

Bulan is committed to give her best efforts in everything she does. This strong determination stems from her will to partake in women empowerment. 

“Wong wedok ora usah melu-melu, which means: women are not supposed to intervene. That saying is embedded in my heart and mind. This is the reason I participate in prestigious awards and build a branding around this issue. I just want other women to realize that new opportunities are available to us, and I hope those women will use those chances. I do not want to be the only woman who fights for this, I want to join forces with other women as well.” Said Bulan about her motivation to participate in Pemilihan Mahasiswa Berprestasi UGM 2024. 

Bulan went through a long process to prepare herself for participating in this event. The first step she had to undergo was the administration selection. She had to prepare three things on this stage. First, an English proficiency certificate. If the participant does not have an English proficiency certificate yet, they will be facilitated to take the AcEPT test if they pass to the next stage. Second, list of achievements. The limited number of achievements to be included in the list is ten, so the participant should select the best achievements they have. Third, an innovation proposal. In this event, Bulan wrote a proposal titled “In-Eksklusif: Program Peningkatan Kesempatan Eksklusif untuk Pelaku Ekonomi Inklusif”, a program to increase exclusive opportunities for inclusive businesses. This proposal correlates with Bulan’s IT background and humanistic perspective. 

In the faculty selection, the participant will present their ideas and answer questions from the juries in a 30-minute session. One student will be granted the award of Mahasiswa Berprestasi Utama and represent the faculty in the Supercamp event, where they will present their list of achievements and innovation proposals. In this event, the committee will select three winners for three categories: bachelor program, diploma program, and favorite.

Bulan gained valuable insights after participating in Pemilihan Mahasiswa Berprestasi UGM 2024, “We have to prepare ourselves to be let down by the results if we are participating in competition. We also have to make sure that we have adequate experiences.”

After winning the Penghargaan Favorit Pemilihan Mahasiswa Berprestasi UGM 2024 award, Bulan went back to her daily routine. She is currently working on her thesis, while also still participating in many competitions and positive activities. Bulan said she still wants to try competing in this event, if she has not graduated next year. She also encouraged other students to participate in the Pemilihan Mahasiswa Berprestasi UGM event, “For other students in the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, don’t be afraid to send your application! There are not many students in our faculty who are willing to participate in this event. Don’t forget to prepare all the documents early because of the short period of the submission. Always be humble, because being a Mahasiswa Berprestasi doesn’t transform you into the student with the highest position; you are just a representative.”

Two representatives of English Department UGM: Alvanita, M. Ed. and Paris Mercurio visited MA Al Ikhlas Berbah on Saturday, 11 March 2024. This event is a part of community services conducted by English Department UGM. Headmistress of MA Al Ikhlas Berbah, Ika Bude Lestari, S.Pd., gave a warm welcoming speech in the beginning of the event. Afterwards, the presentation and Q&A sessions began.

In the presentation session, Alvanita, M.Ed. motivated the students to learn English. She highlighted how important it is to be proficient in English, especially if one wants to pursue higher education or professional careers. She also gave the students tips on learning English outside the class. The second presenter, Paris Mercurio told the students about her experiences living in the United States. She gave the students tips to overcome their nervousness when using English in conversations. The students, who were shy to respond at the presentation session, gradually became more engaged throughout the Q&A session. 

Students and teachers of MA Al-Ikhlas Berbah responded positively towards the event, sharing their opinions that other programs to increase students’ interest in learning English should be conducted again in the future. The urgency of conducting those programs is due to low frequency of English learning in rural areas like Berbah, which is affected by the existing presumption of the lack of urgency to be proficient in English.

Alvanita, M.Ed. discussed the continuation of this program with the English teacher of MA Al-Ikhlas Berbah (Ervina Juli Aryani) after the event. One of the proposed activities is increasing English literacy through reading literature works. Every week, the students will read English short stories and write their reviews. Afterwards, an offline discussion monitored by Alvanita, M.Ed. and Ms. Ervina will be conducted every one or two months in order to track the students’ progress in learning English.