Four FMIPA UNEJ students took part in the International Student Mobility Program at the Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology, University Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia. They come from 4 departments at FMIPA, namely Prima Harmadi from the Biology Department, Muhammad Ricy Romadhan from the Chemistry Department, Vanesya Damayanti from the Biology Department, and Jasmine Syafiyyah Annisa from the Mathematics Department. They will be in Malaysia from October 2023 to February 2024. This program is part of an international collaboration between FMIPA Jember University and UiTM Jasin Melaka, which aims to increase students’ practical experience and broaden the scope of their horizons in the professional world.

Arrival in Malaysia is preceded by a health check-up performed in Shah Alam. Before starting the internship in the Teluk Intan area, they lived temporarily in the Kristal Milik condominium of UiTM Shah Alam. There they get hotel-like facilities and can explore various tourist spots around Malaysia, including going to Kuala Lumpur and seeing the Petronas Twin Towers. “Before going to UiTM, we were given the opportunity to intern at Ladang MOCCIS Sdn. Bhd. Perak to learn about oil palm seeds as well as cattle, goat, and deer farming,” said Muhammad Ricy Romadhan.

The internship program is divided into two parts. The first part was at Ladang Moccis, an oil palm plantation in Teluk Intan, Changkat Jong, Perak, for one month until December 20. They are involved in various fields, including plantations, orchards, cattle breeding projects, and resorts. Every week, they move fields to get a diverse and deep experience.

During the internship at Ladang Moccis, these Indonesian students were directly involved in observations and field experiences covering various aspects. They observed the area of oil palm plants, various types of fruit plants such as cempedak, pineapple, rambutan, and durian, and the use of drone technology for spraying pesticides. There are 4 areas of activity on the Moccis farm, namely: plantation, hamlet, cattle breeding project, and resort. “We also get the experience of learning various cultures and languages from the various ethnicities that are there, including Malays, Bangladeshis, Indians, and Chinese,” continued Ricy.

After finishing at Ladang Moccis, on December 20, the four FMIPA students will continue their internship in Melaka State and live in the UiTM Jasin Campus Melaka hostel. Focusing on work in the laboratory with a little jump directly into the field, different from the previous experience at Moccis. “We are very enthusiastic and feel very excited about this opportunity. This program not only gives us valuable practical experience but also expands the scope of our knowledge in various fields,” he said.
After completing the internship, they returned to Indonesia to continue their studies at FMIPA Universitas Jember. They hope that this program can attract other students to participate, realizing the great benefits that can be gained from this international experience, which will also be recognized as an MBKM activity and counted as 20 SKS.

This internship program is not only a valuable experience for the four students but also shows the success of cross-national cooperation between universities in providing a deep and diverse learning experience for their students.

Through this student exchange program, the Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology at Teknologi MARA Malaysia also sends its students to the Faculty of MIPA at UNEJ. Nurul Alya binti Hamdan, Wan Nur Hafizah binti Wan Mohamad Nor, Muhamad Zarul Ikhwan bin Roslan from the Agribusiness Program, and Siti Hajar Natashah binti Samsudin from the Plant Biotechnology Program followed work practices at the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Center and PT. Mitra Tani 27 Jember.