The 7th INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL PROGRAM (ICP) 2024

he International Office at Hasanuddin University (Unhas) organized the 2024 International Cultural Program (ICP), centered around the theme “Maritime Culture of South Sulawesi.” Held from June 3 to 10, 2024, the event was hosted at two primary venues: the Unhas Campus and PPLH Puntondo in Takalar Regency. The program brought together 66 participants representing 33 countries. Attendees engaged in lectures exploring the cultural aspects of maritime communities and participated in hands-on field activities. These activities included observing seaweed farming and gaining insights into the daily lives of coastal communities in Takalar.

INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL PROGRAM (ICP) 2023

Hasanuddin University’s Office of International Affairs held the 2023 International Cultural Program (ICP) with the theme “Maritime Culture of South Sulawesi,” which took place from June 14 to 21, 2023. The activity took place in two main locations, namely the Unhas Campus and PPLH Puntondo, Takalar Regency. A total of 47 participants from 22 countries were given lectures on the cultural life of maritime communities and also conducted field activities to directly observe maritime communities in Takalar, ranging from seaweed cultivation to coastal community life.

INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL PROGRAM (ICP) 2022

UNHAS International Cultural Program (ICP) 2022 ends with memorable experiences. The number of participants involved was 37 participants from 21 countries such as Australia, Kyrgyz Republic, Myanmar, Tanzania, China, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Nepal, Afghanistan, Philippines, Panama, Palestine, Malaysia, Yemen, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Sudan, Jordan, and Pakistan.

Previously, the participants had obtained some material about the introduction of Unhas and the culture of the community which was held in the LP2M Hall for 3 days. On the first day, the participants were provided with insights related to the Maritime Community of South Sulawesi. The people who inhabit South Sulawesi are very famous for their strong and rich maritime culture. Then on the next day, there were 4 main topics, namely Fishermen Community in South Sulawesi, Types of Fish in South Sulawesi, Traditional dessert of South Sulawesi, and Bugis and Makassar values: Two major tribes (Bugis-Makassar) in South Sulawesi. On the 3rd day, the participants did a traditional dance workshop in South Sulawesi.

In addition to providing material, the participants were also invited to see firsthand the culture of the people of South Sulawesi through field trips in Bulukumba, namely Bira Beach, Kajang Indigenous Community, and Bonto Bahari Phinisi Shipbuilding Village. The participants had the opportunity to visit the Kajang indigenous area which is famous for its very traditional cultural values, such as they do not accept modern equipment, such as electricity, machines, etc. In addition, participants were also able to see the manufacture of Phinisi boats. In addition, participants were also able to see the making of Phinisi ships in Bonto Bahari village. This village is one of the most unique places where most of the people work as shipbuilders.

After all the materials and field trips were completed, the closing ceremony was conducted at 20.00 WITA offline at Same Resort, Bulukumba Regency, on Friday (16/09). On the closing night, the participants gave their impressions and messages regarding the ICP program organized by the Office of International Affairs (KUI) Unhas. For example, the response from Binta Roberts from Sierra Leonean who felt happy and delighted to be one of the Unhas ICP participants. Binta said many experiences were gained when participating in this program such as getting to know Makassar’s diverse specialties with its culture and history. Besides Binta, Zhang Lirong who is an international student from China also conveyed the same thing. According to her, the Unhas ICP program is a platform to better understand eastern Indonesia, especially South Sulawesi. Through ICP, she gained new experiences and knowledge as well as friends from various countries.

INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL PROGRAM (ICP) 2020 and 2021 (VIRTUAL)

UNHAS International Cultural Program (ICP) 2020 and 2021 were held virtually due to Pandemic Covid-19. The program has been designed for students who are not Indonesian citizens. Entitled “Maritime Culture in Indonesia: Marine Resilience and Historical Perspective”, the program covers some presentations on Historical Maritime Adventure, Phinisi Boat Production, and rich marine resources in Sulawesi, Indonesia. There are also some interesting sessions on the Indonesian language and culture, virtual visits to the fish market and Bira Beach, traditional dance tutorials, and seafood cooking sessions.

INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL PROGRAM (ICP) 2019

The 2nd International Cultural Program (ICP) 2019 was in August 2019. The program was designed for non-indonesion students. Entitled “Maritime Culture in Indonesia: Marine Resilience and Historical Perspective”, the program covered some presentations on Historical Maritime Adventure, Pinisi Boat Production, and rich marine resources in Sulawesi, Indonesia. There were also some interesting sessions on the Indonesian language and culture, virtual visits to the fish market and Bira Beach, and traditional dance tutorials. 35 Participants from 20 countries were exposed with knowledge related to the theme carried out before making direct observations to the places to be addressed.

The participants enjoyed their trip to a local tribe in Bukukumba called the Kajang tribe, They had an opportunity to see the people of Kajang that are well known for their traditional beliefs that refuse to be contaminated with modern thoughts and technologies. These people are also famous for their all-black clothes. It is prohibited to wear clothes of other colors and only black clothes are allowed.

Upon the visit to Kajang, the participants headed to Bonto Bahari, the village of shipbuilders, where Phinisi (Traditional ship) is made. The shipbuilders are worldly known for their traditional methods, not having a fixed blueprint, because it is already in their mind. During the process of shipbuilding, the workers do not rely on advanced technologies like modern ship crafting. They believe that ship manufacturing is not just about business or commerce, but it also requires a spiritual sense.

On top of that, the natural beauty of Bira beach has stolen the participant’s heart. The white sand beaches have been a tourist spot since a while ago. The participants spent 3 days in a hotel with astonishing sea views.