Studying abroad is often seen as a personal achievement for students. However, for the Faculty of Dentistry at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FKG UGM), the recent student exchange to the National University of Singapore (NUS) in late January 2026 served as a space for institutional reflection: how prepared is Indonesia’s dental education system to engage with and grow alongside global standards?
The program, titled The 1-Week Elective Programme at the Faculty of Dentistry, NUS , was held from January 26–30, 2026, and was attended by undergraduate dental students from UGM. It also included faculty supervision and initial discussions on developing a more structured and longer-term student exchange scheme, particularly for students in the International Undergraduate Program (IUP).
Academic Mentorship and Institutional Representation
Throughout the program, students were directly supervised by FKG UGM faculty member drg. Heriati Sitosari, M.DSc., Ph.D., along with two IUP students, Sabrina Aliya Putri Susanto and Narary Ganes Sulistyo. The presence of a faculty mentor not only ensured the smooth execution of academic activities but also represented the institution in strategic communications with NUS.
One of the key agendas was a meeting with Dr. Hu Sijia from the Faculty of Dentistry, NUS. This meeting served as an initial forum to discuss the development of a more structured and long-term student exchange program. Topics included aligning learning outcomes, academic evaluation mechanisms, optimal exchange duration, and scheduling to enable academic credit transfer.
Observing Systems, Comparing Approaches
For students, the one-week program provided an opportunity to directly observe the dental education system at one of Asia’s leading universities. NUS’s four-year B.D.S. curriculum, integrated with interprofessional education (IPE), reflects a structured, intensive approach that demands high levels of discipline.
This experience offered concrete insights into differences in learning approaches, from curriculum structure to academic culture. For FKG UGM, these observations serve as valuable benchmarks for evaluating and strengthening its own curriculum, including assessing the relevance of short-term electives and the potential for semester-long exchanges within the IUP. one-week elective maupun kemungkinan pertukaran mahasiswa selama satu semester untuk program IUP.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
The program report notes that its benefits extend beyond formal academic aspects. Students gained experience interacting in a multicultural environment, adapting to an international academic system, and internalizing global professional and ethical standards.
These non-academic competencies—such as cross-cultural communication, discipline, and adaptability—are essential in shaping dental graduates who are ready to compete globally, even though they may not always be reflected in conventional academic assessments.
Networking and Strategic Development
From an institutional perspective, the program strengthened FKG UGM’s international network with NUS. The relationship is evolving beyond administrative cooperation toward long-term strategic dialogue.
The exploration of semester-long student exchange opportunities is seen as a significant prospect, especially since such a scheme has not previously been implemented by NUS. Although still in its early stages, this initiative opens opportunities for FKG UGM to prepare a more adaptive and globally competitive academic system.
Contribution to National Agenda
The student exchange program also contributes to Indonesia’s higher education internationalization agenda, particularly Key Performance Indicators (IKU) related to student mobility and international collaboration. More importantly, it highlights the need to align students’ international experiences with improvements in domestic educational quality.
Planned follow-ups include reporting outcomes to faculty leadership, conducting a comprehensive evaluation of student experiences, and continuing cross-unit discussions to develop long-term collaboration with NUS.
Reflections from a Short Program
Despite its short duration, the program delivers a lasting message: internationalization is not merely about sending students abroad, but about preparing curricula, policies, and academic culture to continuously learn and improve.
From Singapore, both students and the institution return with valuable experiences. The next challenge is ensuring that these experiences translate into tangible improvements in the quality of dental education at FKG UGM.
Editor: Andri Wicaksono | Photos: Narary & Sabrina Archives
