Despite the pandemic of Covid-19 in which students’ mobility between countries is limited, Universitas Internasional Batam (UIB) is trying to provide more opportunities for both UIB students and overseas partner students to have an international experience. UIB admitted that the number of foreign inbound and outbound students may decrease during the pandemic; however, it challenges UIB to think creatively and innovatively to conduct online short course program to maintain the number of inbound and outbound students.
Nanjing Xiaozhuang University (NXU) is one of UIB close partners in China. UIB actively sends students to join 2+2 Program in NXU. Therefore, UIB is collaborating with NXU to conduct an immersion program. This program is, specifically, a collaboration between UIB Faculty of Economics and NXU School of Business. In this program, NXU students will introduce Indonesian culture, specifically Malay-Indonesia Culture in Riau Islands, and its impacts on Entrepreneurship. Therefore, this immersion program brings a theme of Malay-Indonesia Culture toward Entrepreneurship.
This program is attended by 21 students from NXU, China, and conducted online via VooV Meeting. The opening ceremony and first meeting were held on April 07, 2021. The opening ceremony was attended by Dean of School of Business, Prof. Zhao Tong; Students Counselor of School of Business, Ms. Cathy Liu; and Staff from External Exchange Office, Ms. Sophie Mou. In the opening speech, Prof Zhao Tong mentioned that UIB is an active partner who already sent 7 students to study at NXU. Therefore, he hopes that this program can be beneficial for the students as well as strengthen the collaboration between two universities.
