Universitas Hasanuddin (Unhas) through the Faculty of Nursing in collaboration with the Nursing Department, Yokohama City University offered the Sakura Science Online Exchange program. The activity was scheduled to last for three days and started on Tuesday (19/01) virtually through the zoom meeting application.
During the interview on Wednesday (20/01), the Vice Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs of the Faculty of Nursing, Syahrul Said, S.Kep., NS., M.Kes., Ph.D., explained that this program is part of the collaboration with the Nursing Department of Yokohama City University, Japan.
The aim of the program is to share knowledge, research and nursing experiences between the two universities, especially on the topic of nursing dysphagia patients (i.e. patients who experience symptoms of difficulty swallowing).
“It was originally planned for offline activity in Yokohama. There are 20 students as participants, 3 lecturers as facilitators, and 1 lecturer as the main speaker. However, because the Covid-19 pandemic situation is still high, the activity has switched to online activity,” explained Syahrul.
Through this program, students can gain experience following international level programs. They also can interact with lecturers and students from other countries and get new knowledge. For lecturers, it can help the process of identifying potential research topics that can increase joint research activities.
Dean of the Faculty of Nursing of Unhas, Dr. Ariyanti Saleh, S.Kp., M.Kes., stated that this program, besides building international cooperation between universities, is also a form of supporting Unhas to reach the title of World Class University. All elements involved were also expected to obtain broader information and knowledge.
“The Faculty of Nursing wants to take a role in Unhas steps towards a World Class University. We continue to open up opportunities for international collaboration, especially since study programs have been internationally accredited by prestigious institutions,” said Ariyanti.
The Undergraduate Study Program and the Professional Study Program of Nursing have received recognition for international accreditation from ASIIN (Akkreditierungsagentur für Studiengänge der Ingenieurwissenschaften, der Informatik, der Naturwissenschaften und der Mathematik) based in Germany. This accreditation was achieved in July 2019.
Kumara Tungga Dewa, S.S.
Editor: Ishaq Rahman, AMIPR
