The orientation days and ten-year anniversary at Udayana University.
Ten-year anniversary, orientation days, parties. Eventful days for the students at Udayana University! The spring semester has officially started, the orientation week has come and gone, and the ten-year anniversary of the partnership between Asia Exchange and Udayana university has been celebrated! The students in Bali started their exciting journey towards an international education last week, starting with an orientation at Udayana University.
The morning started with heavy rain, the humidity in the air was matched only by the anxiety of the students. As the skies cleared, the anxiety turned to excitement. The time had finally come, this was the beginning, the beginning of something new, an adventure. a life-changing experience.
The orientation day started with an opening ceremony from the University, the international students were treated to an amazing traditional Balinese dance.
The orientation was now open and the Coordinator of BIPAS Dr. I Made Rajeg welcomed everyone to the semester. After that followed a speech by Harri Suominen & Tuomas Kauppinen, the founders of Asia Exchange, as well as a welcome speech from Prof. A.A Raka Sudewi the Deanof Udayana. The Vice Rector of Udayana Prof. Dr. Ida Bagus Wyasa Putra, SH., M.Hum. also held a speech welcoming everyone to the university.
A very special guest also made an appearance, the Ambassador of Finland to Indonesia, Jari Sinkari spoke and held a Q&A for the students. Speeches were also held by Mrs. Sri Rahayuni (Secretary of BIPAS) and Prof. Dr. Ni Luh Sutjiati Beratha, M.A.
The students got to know the history of the university, information about Asia Exchange and their partners, basic facts of Bali, Visas, cultural norms, safety tips, information about tropical diseases as well as what is expected of them on an academic level.
The students seemed to find the orientation useful. Here are a few quotes from our students:
The presentation about health, tropical diseases and how to stay safe was really useful when arriving in a new country. – Sawyer Stender
I really liked the part where all the students from the same countries gathered, it was really interesting to see where everyone was from! – Dylan Mcaward
The orientation was a really good opportunity to socialize and get to know your new classmates! – Charlie Barclay
Now this orientation day was quite special, because the University was also using this opportunity to celebrate a ten-year partnership with Asia Exchange. During this time, Asia Exchange has sent over 2,200 students to Udayana University, which is a lot! So, there was definitely cause for celebration.
The partnership between Asia Exchange and Udayana University was celebrated with the exchange of gifts from both parties, traditional gifts representing the parties countries was exchanged and all of the students sang Happy birthday. There was even a cake!
You might also be interested in: 10 Year Anniversary – Harri Suominen
Social Events
The social aspect is a huge part of the university experience. Working together, exchanging knowledge and experiences is key for success. Asia Exchange understands that friendship is the first step in this process. Therefore, the company organizes social events for the students to help them network and build relationships.
Before the semester even started, there was an event at “Pretty Poison” in Canggu, a really cool bar built around an empty pool used for skateboarding. Around forty students showed up and all in all the event was a huge success, everyone had a great time and seemed happy to meet their new classmates!
After the orientation days, the official Kick-off party went off at “Alternative Beach” in Canggu! Almost all students attended the party, and everyone seemed to have a great time! During the party, Asia Exchange also arranged competitions. There was a photo competition to win an action camera! The students took a picture at the party, posted it to Instagram and tagged #studylivelearn and #alternativebeach. The winner was announced later in the evening.
The company also arranged a limbo competition which was very popular! Besides that there were also speeches from Harri Suominen & Tuomas Kauppinen, the founders of Asia Exchange, welcoming everyone to the party as well as the start of the semester.
I would like to end by welcoming all the students to Bali, Udayana University and I wish that you all have a great semester, make a lot of friends and memories for life.
Find out more about studying in Bali
Asia Exchange is a Finnish company providing study abroad opportunities inAsia Pacific for students from all around the world. Want to get travel tipsand new blog posts straight to your inbox? Subscribe to ourmonthly newsletter!If you have any questions about studyingabroad, feel free tocontact us! We’ll get back to you!
This article was written by our marketing intern Jonas!
