Indonesian Class by STUVO: Enhancing Language & Cultural Understanding

The International Office (IO) of Hasanuddin University (UNHAS), through its Student Volunteers (STUVO), organized the Indonesian Class for International Students, Batch 2025, on 21 November 2025. The class serves as a complementary program to the Bahasa Indonesia untuk Penutur Asing (BIPA), or Indonesian Language for Non-Native Speakers course, facilitated by the Language Services Unit of UNHAS.

This initiative, facilitated by STUVO, aims to provide international students with practical opportunities to apply what they have learned in the classroom and to enhance their communication skills in real-life contexts. By integrating language learning with cultural experiences, the program encourages students to engage confidently with local communities and to gain a deeper understanding of Indonesian culture from a personal perspective.

This week’s session was led by Andi Regina, Zulfiqri Saputra Samsul, Nadya Salsabila, Cristin Agustina Purba, Andi Milhan, Nayla Wijayanti, Fidya Fazriani Harahap, Muammar Khadafi, and Rifkhy Arishall. The program was held at International Housing (RAMSIS) and was fully managed by STUVO. The lessons covered suffixes, university life at UNHAS, Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) or community service, and the Makassar dialect in simple sentences.

The learning materials were designed to be interactive, practical, and culturally relevant, focusing on everyday expressions and real-world situations. Participants learned not only modern standard Indonesian but also common Makassar dialect phrases, enabling them to appreciate the linguistic diversity and cultural nuances of their new environment.

Through this program, STUVO aims to build a supportive and inclusive atmosphere for international students, fostering stronger cross-cultural communication and deeper mutual understanding within the UNHAS community.