The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has invited 45 international youth from 34 countries to learn about Indonesia’s arts and culture through the Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship (IACS). Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said the program is important for promoting Indonesian arts and culture and introducing the nation’s diversity, unity, and cooperation. The participants will witness Indonesia’s culture of gotong royong, which guides the country’s interactions with other countries and serves as a bridge-builder among nations. The scholarship has been awarded to 1,024 alumni from 83 countries since its inception in 2003 and provides a non-degree scholarship to help young people learn about Indonesia’s arts, culture, and local wisdom.
The Indonesian government has invited 45 international youth from 34 countries to participate in the Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship (IACS) program this year. The program aims to promote Indonesia’s arts and culture, as well as introduce the nation’s diversity, the spirit of unity, and cooperation.
The participants come from various countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Pacific Oceania region, including member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The IACS program provides a non-degree scholarship to young people to help them learn about the arts, culture, and local wisdom of Indonesia in person.
The IACS program is a flagship program in public diplomacy of the Foreign Affairs Ministry to promote Indonesia’s arts and culture. It started in 2003 and has been awarded to 1,024 alumni from 83 countries.
While opening the program in Jakarta on Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized the importance of the IACS program for promoting Indonesian arts and culture. She also highlighted how Indonesia has turned its diversity into strength by choosing tolerance and cooperation over ignorance and adversity.
“Indonesia is a nation of more than 17 thousand islands and 300 ethnicities. However, we have turned our diversity into strength because we choose tolerance, not ignorance, and we strive for unity, not adversity,” Marsudi said.
The IACS participants will witness first-hand how the culture of gotong royong (cooperation) and diversity are embraced in every corner of the country. Marsudi also emphasized how the spirit of gotong royong guides Indonesia’s interactions with other countries and serves as a bridge-builder among nations and a consensus-maker.
One of the IACS participants from China, Zhou Qingqing, expressed her interest in joining the program to improve her mastery of Bahasa Indonesia, the official language of Indonesia.
“I learn Indonesian at university, so I decided to join this program because I love Indonesian culture. By joining this program, I hope I will understand more about the arts and culture of Indonesia,” Zhou said.
Another participant from Malaysia, Syahira, was amazed by the diversity of Indonesia and decided to register for the program. She expressed her love for arts and culture and her desire to learn more about Indonesian culture to strengthen unity among different ethnicities.
“I really love arts and culture, and I love Indonesian culture. You have so many ethnicities, but you can be united in diversity. I really want to learn about Indonesia and go back to Malaysia so we can strengthen our unity as well,” Syahira said.
This year’s IACS is themed “Indonesia, Home of Diversity.” Scholarship participants will take part in various activities, including attending Indonesian language classes, cultural workshops, and visits to cultural sites. The program aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Indonesian culture and local wisdom to the participants.
To end with a bang, the Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship program is an important initiative to promote Indonesian arts and culture and introduce the nation’s diversity, the spirit of unity, and cooperation to the world. The program provides young people with a unique opportunity to learn about the arts, culture, and local wisdom of Indonesia in person, and to strengthen unity among different ethnicities.
