The Faculty of Engineering has received more good news. Novi Istiyani, a student of Marine Engineering at Undip, has been selected as one of Indonesia’s delegates for the AUN Summer Program 2025. The event will be held at Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) from July 7 to 18, 2025.
The AUN Summer Program 2025 is a series of summer programs organized by the ASEAN University Network (AUN). This activity is held at 11 universities selected from 7 Southeast Asian countries. For the July period, the AUN Summer Program is organized by VNU-HCM Vietnam with the theme “Sustainable Solutions and Youth Innovation in Climate Change.”
As the sole representative from Undip, Novi feels proud to represent her alma mater in this international forum. “At first, I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone and came alone, but all those concerns vanished immediately when I was warmly welcomed by friends from various countries,” she recalled.
For almost two weeks, Novi and dozens of participants from various countries attended various academic lectures from renowned professors. In addition, the participants also underwent cross-country and cross-disciplinary group discussion sessions to discuss topics such as the challenges of climate change, sustainable lifestyles, and the resilience of local communities.
Apart from receiving academic material, the participants also underwent field activities in the Can Gio mangrove forest and An Giang Province. For Novi, the most memorable part was Cultural Night. She recounted how the participants shared their respective cultures with each other.
“It was a night full of warmth and pride. We all stood on one stage as part of a diverse Southeast Asia, but with mutual respect,” she said.
As an Indonesian delegate, Novi was grateful for the opportunity to participate in this event. She hopes that her experience during the AUN Summer Course will give her many new perspectives and friends.
“More than just academic learning, I came home with new perspectives and friends who feel like family. I feel that learning is not only in the classroom, but also from sharing laughter, stories, and diversity,” concluded Novi.
News and photos adapted from Novi Istiyani