EduAsiaNews, Malang – Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) officially bid farewell to 11 international students who were recipients of the Developing Countries Partnership Scholarship (KNB) and the UM International Student Scholarship (UM ISS) during a ceremony held on Thursday (23 July) at the 9th Floor Hall of the UM Rectorate Building. The event served as an expression of appreciation for the students’ successful completion of their studies while reaffirming UM’s commitment to producing globally competitive graduates through the continued internationalization of higher education.
The Director of the UM Office of International Affairs, Dr. Sari Karmiria, Ph.D., reported that this year’s international graduates comprised seven KNB scholarship recipients and four UM ISS recipients. The 11 graduates represented six countries—the Philippines, Palestine, Madagascar, Egypt, Thailand, and Timor-Leste—and completed programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.
The graduates demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, earning cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) ranging from 3.67 to 4.00. A student from Palestine, Mohammed Ahmed Hamza Shehada, achieved a perfect 4.00 GPA in the Master’s Program in Educational Management. The graduates represented a diverse range of academic disciplines across the Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Economics and Business, and the Faculty of Social Sciences.
UM Rector Prof. Dr. Hariyono, M.Pd., expressed his appreciation to all international students for successfully completing their academic journey and enriching the university’s international environment.
“We congratulate all international students who have successfully completed their studies at UM. We hope that the experience you have gained during your time at UM will serve as a valuable foundation for advancing your careers while enabling you to make meaningful contributions to your communities and home countries,” said Prof. Hariyono.
He further stated that UM continues to enhance the quality of services for international students by expanding the availability of internationally delivered courses, strengthening foreign language competencies among faculty members, and improving both academic and non-academic support services. According to him, feedback from international alumni plays an important role in enhancing service quality and reinforcing UM’s global competitiveness.
The farewell ceremony not only marked the completion of the graduates’ academic journey but also signified the beginning of their role as UM ambassadors in their respective countries. Through its expanding international alumni network, UM remains optimistic about strengthening collaboration in education, research, and cultural exchange while further solidifying its position as an internationally recognized university contributing to sustainable global development.
This initiative also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), by expanding access to international education and fostering cross-border collaboration.
