Surabaya, February 20, 2025 – Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) hosted the Opening Ceremony for the International Community Outreach: Go-East Java 2.0 on Thursday, February 20. This event is a collaboration between the World University Association for Community Development (WUACD), the Faculty of Health Sciences, Medicine, and Natural Sciences (FIKKIA), and the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) UNAIR. It was attended by 50 students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and took place at the Medang Maleo Hall, UNAIR Campus B.
The event which began with the singing of the Indonesian national anthem “Indonesia Raya” and Airlangga Hymn created such solemn atmosphere filled with enthusiasm and unity. The first speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. Ni Nyoman Tri Puspaningsih, M.Si., who expressed her hopes for the ongoing strong relationship between UTM and UNAIR and their contributions to assisting villages in Indonesia.
The event was also attended by representatives from several faculties, including the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), the Faculty of Medicine (FK), the Faculty of Dentistry (FKG), and representatives from FST, the Dean Prof. Dr. Miratul Khasanah, the Vice Dean I of FST, Dr. Eridani, M.Si. and Faculty Ambassador of FST, Inten Firdhausi Wardhani, S.T., M.Sc.
On this occasion, Dr. Eridani, M.Si., Vice Dean I of FST, who represented the Dean, expressed his appreciation for the event. He hoped that this program would provide tangible benefits to the community, especially for the people of Banyuwangi, who are the focus of this year’s community service activities.
The UTM students participating in this program stated that Go-East Java 2.0 is a continuation of Go-East Java 1.0. They shared that the previous event lacked sufficient duration, and they longed for the experience of being in Indonesia, known for its hospitality and warmth. Therefore, Go-East Java 2.0 is scheduled to last longer, from February 21 to March 7, 2025.
With this program, it is hoped that the international collaboration between UTM and Indonesian universities will be strengthened and that it will bring positive impacts to the village communities targeted by this community outreach initiative.
