SEA Teacher Exchange 2025 Officially Closed, FKIP ULM Affirms Program Sustainability
Banjarmasin – The Independent Learning Unit (MBKM) of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) of Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) held a Closing Ceremony for the 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Teacher Exchange Program on Friday, November 14th. The event took place in the Hasan Bondan Hall of FKIP ULM, starting at 9:00 a.m. WITA (Central Indonesian Time).
The event was officially opened by the Dean of FKIP ULM, Sunarno Basuki, and attended by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Deasy Arisanty; the Head of General Affairs, Isnawati; the Head of the MBKM Unit, Raisa Fadilla; the Head of the Quality Assurance Unit (UPM), Ananda Setiawan; the Principal of SMAN Banua, Risa Lisdariani; a representative of the Global Islamic Boarding School (GIBS) academic team, Niko Rahmad Aprilyanto; Heads of departments and heads of service departments within the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) of the University of ULM; and students participating in the SEA Teacher program, both from the Philippines and those from FKIP ULM who have completed the program and returned home.
In his remarks, Sunarno Basuki emphasized FKIP ULM’s commitment to maintaining the sustainability of the SEA Teacher program in the coming years. He expressed his hope that FKIP ULM would be able to send more students despite facing budget constraints amidst efficiency policies. One alternative being considered is implementing a funding-sharing scheme between the university and students’ parents. He noted that similar schemes have been implemented at several other universities and would allow for the sending of a larger number of students abroad. He added that the implementation of such a scheme would certainly require the support and approval of all relevant parties.
On the same occasion, the Dean of FKIP ULM also expressed his appreciation to partner schools, namely SMAN Banua and SMA GIBS, for accepting SEA Teacher program students from the Philippines and providing support during their teaching practicums.
The closing ceremony also included a cultural performance by four SEA Teacher students from the Philippines who were placed at FKIP ULM. Maynard A. Agraan and Matt Andrew J. Ancheta from Mariano Marcos State University, as well as IC Jasmine Monica M. Gaco and Praisey Ella G. Gabion from the University of the Immaculate Conception, presented their regional cultures and performed traditional dances from the Davao and Ilocos Norte regions.
Meanwhile, Raisa Fadilla, Head of the MBKM Unit of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) of ULM, expressed her hope that the student exchange program could be expanded next year to include other countries, such as Thailand or Vietnam. She explained that this year’s SEA Teacher program had several differences compared to previous years, one of which was the presence of students from two different universities in the Philippines. Furthermore, several participants also participated in a short internship at the Disability and Inclusion Services Center of South Kalimantan Province, considering that some of the students were from special education study programs.
