TITIK ULFATUN

Name	TITIK ULFATUN
Country	INDONESIA
Year / month of graduation	September 2019
Degree obtained	M.Ed.
Position / organization as of March 2021	Lecturer / UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH SURAKARTA

This article was written in March 2021.

Why did you choose Japan, and Hiroshima university for your study?

Japan is one of my dream countries. I remember when I was in my first year of undergraduate studies, my professor played a video about one of the Indonesian students who was successfully pursuing his dream of studying in Japan. It greatly motivated and inspired me. Since then, I have told myself that one day I would be able to fulfill my dream of studying in Japan, which I did five years later in 2017.

It was not only because of my dream but also because of my passion for education. It would be a great chance for me to take an educational program in a country with one of the world’s best-performing education systems. Hiroshima University, as one of Japan’s leading universities in education, gave me that wonderful opportunity by providing the course available in English since I could not speak Japanese.

What did you learn and study at Hiroshima university?

I enrolled as a student in the Educational Development Course, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC) in 2017-2019 under the supervision of Prof. Yoko Ishida. During my two years studies, I gained many experiences and learned both academic and non-academic things. I studied such as International Cooperation in Education, Project Evaluation Methodology in Education Development, Basic Education and Development, Foundations of Education, Human Resource Development for Education, Curriculum and Instruction, and some courses related to Educational Research. The new thing I experienced was the zemi (seminar). These weekly meeting classes with labmates and sensei were so helpful yet quite challenging for me. We could discuss our research progress and get constructive comments. Through the zemi, I could improve my critical thinking and research skills. My research focused on teacher certification and competency, especially for vocational high school teachers. It was a quantitative study that examined the relationship between those two variables. Aside from what I learned in the course, I also learned Japanese. It was so exciting to study Japanese together with other international students. Studying at Hiroshima University also has reminded me to value many things, such as togetherness, respect, hard work, perseverance, teamwork, and peace.

Did you enjoy your stay in Hiroshima?

Living and studying in Hiroshima has been the best gift that I have ever had in my life. I had a great time in Hiroshima. Its beautiful nature and amazing culture make me fall in love with this city. Hiroshima offers a supportive environment for students to study and for people to live, including foreign people. Hiroshima also provides Muslim-friendly facilities. I could buy halal groceries at halal shops and eat halal food at restaurants. There are prayer rooms at some public places. Also, there is Hiroshima Islamic Culture Center. I cannot choose which one is the best experience. All of my memories from Hiroshima are the best for me. However, the time I spent with friends studying, traveling, and even going grocery shopping on a bicycle together will live on in my memories forever.

Please tell us your current work. Does what you learned or studied at Hiroshima university help you?

I am a lecturer in the Accounting Education Department of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. It is a great honor for me to join one of Indonesia’s top Islamic private universities. This is also my dream work since my passion is related to education. I was a teacher before in the Accounting study program at a vocational high school and my current job is to prepare students to become Accounting teachers in the future.

Enjoying Hiroshima Flower Festival with friends at Peace Boulevard (May 2019)

I teach both the educational course and the accounting course here. It has been slightly busy these recent months. The even semester of the academic year 2020/2021 begins in March. Many things need to be well organized for the learning since we hold the class online. Online learning is believed as one of the best solutions for higher education institutions to hold their courses in the midst of pandemic Covid-19. Aside from teaching, I also conduct research, write articles for journals, and do community service. Studying at Hiroshima University has helped me to do what I am working on right now. I can apply and share the lessons that I learned and the insights that I gained during my master’s program with my students here. Besides, I am trying to implement the zemi model for my final-year students. I hope they can learn and discuss together in this zemi model about research because they have to complete the undergraduate thesis. Through Hiroshima University, I can expand my network with colleagues from other countries. In the next few months, my faculty will have a special guest lecturer from a colleague who was my former labmate at Hiroshima University. He will give the course on Educational Management. After all, thanks to Hiroshima University that helped me become the person I am today.

Do you recommend Hiroshima university for others to choose?

It will be a great opportunity for people to study at Hiroshima University. I had worries related to living and studying abroad. Hence, before I came to Hiroshima, I asked Indonesian students about their lives and studies in Hiroshima. Their positive responses erased my worries. I was struggling at first because I had to adapt to a new place. However, it was getting better day by day. Surrounding by beautiful nature, Hiroshima University is so peaceful and comfortable for studying. They provide facilities and activities that support students. As a Muslim, I am thankful that Hiroshima University has prayer rooms and also serves halal food in the cafeterias. Last but not the least, the professors and friends were so helpful. They are so kind-hearted, friendly, and respectful of each other regardless of where we are from.

Back