Arefin Islam Sourav
I am Arefin Islam Sourav, a Bangladeshi student from Daffodil International University (DIU). I used to spend my days dreaming of studying abroad, making vision boards, and reading lists of quotes that talked about the magic of studying abroad. However, it took a while until I turned all my dreams into reality. I received the KNB scholarship from the Indonesian government in 2018 after completing the proper application process guided by the International Affairs Office of DIU. I have finished my master’s degree in Informatics Engineering this year in 2021 and currently I am one of the proud alumni of UniversitasAtma Jaya Yogyakarta (UAJY), Indonesia. Moving from my home country to another country, taught me lots of things but here are some of my top listed things that I have learned from my experience of being a student overseas.
This Indonesian Scholarship is a Fully Funded Indonesian Government Scholarship for International Students. KNB Indonesia Scholarship is responsible for all expenses related to tuition fees, accommodation, books expenses, round airfare, and research expenses. There are 16 affiliated colleges/universities with this KNB Scholarship. KNB scholarship is offered for both bachelor’s degree and master’s degree programs. 357 Study Programs are available in this scholarship to study.
Indonesia is the world’s largest island country where there are over 700 regional languages. In Indonesia, English is not that common language but the Indonesian language. When I first arrived, I was ecstatic about living in a foreign country and learning a new language. I had to learn the academic Indonesian language for the first year of my stay in Indonesia as my class lecture and study materials were in the Indonesian language. Undoubtedly, this was the most challenging part of my staying in Indonesia. As the English language is not very common among the general people, I had to learn the Indonesian language by heart so that I could fluently communicate with them. And this was not enough only by learning in the academic environment. I had to communicate with the local people until my return to Bangladesh for a better understanding and learning of the language. It was difficult and at the same moment, an exciting and enjoyable experience.
The education system in Indonesia was quite different from my home country which I found effective and exciting. As a master’s student, I had to go through a research-oriented study environment. There was numerous opportunity work in the research field. The most attractive thing is these research works are also sponsored by the universities which is a great financial relief for the students. I have several academic papers published in reputed journals and conference proceedings. Which I think is a great opportunity to enrich the curriculum vitae. Being a local Bangladeshi, I had no previous experience of living abroad. Which made me unaware of other cultural diversities and lifestyles. In Indonesia, I lived in Yogyakarta, a city on the Indonesian island of Java known for its traditional arts and cultural heritage. Yogyakarta is also known as “Student’s City”, making it become the melting pot area of Indonesia with a multicultural society where students from all around the country with different religions come to Yogyakarta to pursue education. This “cultural hub” taught me a lot to understand different cultures and lifestyles around the world.
As government scholarship holders, the KNB students received special treatments and facilities arranged by the Government and the universities. These include frequent study tours, international student collaboration, visiting the cultural heritage centers and tourist spots in Indonesia.
This exciting facility was a big opportunity for me to think bigger, exchange knowledge and experience with other foreign people, explore new cultures and personalities in a first-person view.
Travelling was one of the most exciting parts of staying in Indonesia. Indonesia has very beautiful natural wealth. Because of its natural beauty, Indonesia has become a tourist destination that is much coveted by both local and international travelers from around the world. Indonesia was ranked 20th in the world tourist Industry in 2017, also ranked as the ninth-fastest growing tourist sector in the world, the third-fastest growing in Asia, and fastest-growing in Southeast Asia.
There are so many tourist spots in Indonesia where a student can travel on a very limited budget. The attractive sights and natural beauties helped me a lot to recover from my homesickness.
Finally, I must admit that studying in Indonesia was not only an academic achievement but also a lifetime experience. Every student must try for this kind of opportunity to enrich their knowledge and experience.
Arefin Islam Sourav
Graduate, Dept of CSE,
Daffodil International Univeristy
KNB Masters Scholarship
2018-2021 Indonesia Awardee
