Shanice Stacia, often addressed as Shan, is a 2020 cohort student in the Communication Science program at Universitas Padjadjaran. In 2023, Shanice participated in the IISMA program at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. She shares that IISMA was a golden opportunity for her to meet new people, exchange cultures, learn, and become a better version of herself.
IISMA, the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards, is part of the Kampus Merdeka program by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. The Indonesian government provides students with the opportunity to study abroad for about one semester. The list of IISMA partner universities spans across Asia, Australia, America, and Europe. Shanice was accepted at her second choice, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
Shanice outlined three reasons for choosing this university. First, the courses mainly focused on Liberal Arts, offering unique subjects not commonly found in regular university classes, such as curating exhibitions, Asian society in Berlin, historical museums, digital tourism, etc. Second, Berlin is known for its rich history and culture. Third, the acceptance rate was relatively high compared to the number of applicants, and since the program is fully funded, Shanice didn’t want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Since high school, Shanice has had a strong motivation to study and live abroad. She aimed to broaden her horizons academically, socially, and culturally. She believed that studying abroad could bring many positive changes to her, making her more confident, courageous, and independent.
The Journey to IISMA
Shanice had actually wanted to apply for IISMA in 2022. However, at that time, she was entrusted with the role of Vice President of her department’s student association and didn’t want to leave that responsibility. This left her with only one chance to apply for IISMA in her sixth semester. If rejected, she would miss the opportunity to study abroad until graduation. Therefore, she put maximum effort into preparing all the necessary documents and requirements, which was not an easy task. She had to balance a heavy workload with her university and organizational duties. To manage this, Shanice prioritized her tasks and created daily to-do lists. Even after being accepted, her struggle wasn’t over. The visa application process was time-consuming and challenging, especially for Germany. However, having fellow awardees as friends made her more enthusiastic and patient throughout the process. IISMA is a fully-funded scholarship program, covering living and settlement allowances. Shanice didn’t have to spend a penny for her living expenses in Berlin, and Humboldt provided her accommodation.
Activities at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Through IISMA, Shanice had the opportunity to study at one of Germany’s prestigious universities. The classes she took were very interesting and broadened her knowledge beyond her major. For instance, she learned how to curate art exhibitions, understood the concept of provenance used to investigate the origins of museum objects, and gained experience interviewing artists in Berlin, enriching her understanding of diverse tourism concepts. Additionally, every Saturday, the university hosts an Excursion Day, offering tours to various historical and cultural sites in and around Berlin. They even visited Potsdam, Berlin’s neighboring city, by train. As part of their IISMA duties, Shanice and her fellow awardees organized Batik Day and Heroes Day to introduce Indonesian culture to the locals.
Shanice’s Memorable Experience
Every day in Berlin was a valuable experience for Shanice, far beyond her previous life expectations, all thanks to IISMA. Being an awardee allowed her to gain numerous new experiences she wouldn’t have encountered in Indonesia, from making friends from various countries to studying unique subjects, exploring new countries and cultures, and maturing by living far from home. Shanice advises, “For those interested in IISMA, keep going. Don’t give up even though the application process is time-consuming and demanding. Remember, all the hard work will be worth it once you set foot in your dream country.”
Contributor: Puspita Jasminesa – Public Relations Program, Fikom Unpad