BANDUNG – Universitas Widyatama has officially opened wider international career opportunities for its students. Through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with PT. Japan Indonesia Program Akademik (JIPA), the Japanese internship program is now open to students from programs other than Japanese Bachelor Studies. The official signing ceremony took place in the Seminar Room on the 6th Floor of Building B at Widyatama University on Tuesday, April 29th, 2025.
This signing is a strategic step by the university to respond to the high demand for skilled workers in Japan, which covers various industrial sectors. This initiative is based on the desire to provide equal opportunities for all students from various study programs to gain global work experience, improve their competence, and increase their competitiveness in the international job market after graduation.
Japanese Internship Opportunities Now Open to All Majors
Previously, the program to send students to Japan has been successful. The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Dr. H. Hendar, Drs., M.Pd., stated that demand from Japan is now not limited to one field. “In its development, it turns out that Japan now needs so many workers, not only from Bachelor of Japanese study programs but also from other study programs,” he said in his speech.
This success is evident in the case of two students from the Japanese study program who have been accepted to work at Narita Airport Service after being interviewed directly by the director. “Of course, we want to spread this opportunity not only to Japanese language majors but also to other majors,” added Hendar. However, he also reminded the heads of study programs (kaprodi) to keep students focused so they can graduate on time, while utilizing their internship experience as a significant added value to get a job quickly after graduation.
Responding to the #KaburAjaDulu Trend with International Experience
PT. JIPA, represented by Operations Manager Eko Setiawan S.T., welcomes the high enthusiasm of Indonesia’s younger generation to seek experience abroad. This phenomenon, popularly referred to by the hashtag #KaburAjaDulu, is seen as a positive momentum. With over 20 years of experience and having sent approximately 3,000 interns abroad, JIPA is ready to facilitate Universitas Widyatama students.
Eko Setiawan emphasized that the main objective of this program goes beyond material gain. “It is hoped that going there is not just about seeking material gain, but more importantly, it is about gaining knowledge that can be brought back to Indonesia and developed, ideally like that,” said Eko. He hopes that this collaboration can become a new reference for students who want to study while working, bringing home knowledge and capital to build Indonesia.
Long-Term Vision Towards World-Class Graduates
Vice Rector for Research, Community Service, Innovation, and Cooperation, Dr. Didit Damur Rochman, S.T., M.T., IPU., ASEAN ENG, views this collaboration as the foundation for a greater vision. According to him, competition within the country, especially on the island of Java, is very tight. Therefore, opening up job opportunities abroad is a necessity to ensure that all graduates have the same opportunities.
“I notice that maybe the day after tomorrow we will target that 30% of Universitas Widyatama graduates will work abroad. So, not only in Indonesia, but also abroad, in Asia, Europe, and America,” said Dr. Didit. He encourages cross-program collaboration, where students from engineering majors, for example, can take Japanese minor courses. According to him, language proficiency is the key to being able to compete globally, and this collaboration is a concrete step to produce Widyatama graduates who are ready to go global.
