A new semester means new faces on campus, and this time, one of them has come all the way from Myanmar to join the IUP Psychology program! Her name is Julia and she is here to explore a new country, meet new people, and experience student life in Indonesia.

Julia chose Indonesia because of its rich diversity, filled with culture and traditions. She mentioned that the people here are friendly and some of our customs such as the way we show respect to elders, holding our hands in front of our chest as a form of greeting or showing gratitude reminds her of Myanmar. 

On March 18, 2024, students of the Psychology and Culture course attended an online class session inviting Pina Marsico, PhD. She serves as the Associate Professor of Development and Educational Psychology at the University of Salerno in Italy, a Visiting Professor at the PhD Programme in Psychology at the Federal University of Bahia in Brazil, and an Associate Researcher at Aalborg University in Denmark. With extensive experience in research within the educational field, she is now the leading figure in the Cultural Psychology of Education. Through an approximately 100-minute learning session, precisely from 2.20 PM to 4 PM, the students were granted an opportunity to delve into the interplay among culture, the individual, and the environment.

On Monday, 3rd June 2024, students of Psychological Intervention course embarked on a field study to Lembaga Pembinaan Khusus Anak (LPKA) Klas II Yogyakarta, an institution in Yogyakarta that aims to help children juveniles aged 14-18 on behavior improvement before returning to the society. The whole class, which consisted of 45 students in total, were expected to observe and conduct several interviews with stakeholders and children of the LPKA for their field study report.

Upon arriving at the place, the students gathered at the main hall where they sat side by side with children of LPKA, or more well-known as ‘anak binaan’. As it was midday, the students and anak binaan were divided into 8 different groups where they sat in circles to have their lunch together. The students were encouraged to explore more on the daily activities of the anak binaan and how being in LPKA has helped them on behavior improvement. read more

On 31st of May 2024, Students of Children and Adolescents with Special Needs (CASN) course, a course where students learn about types of disabilities/disorders experienced by children and adolescents, recently had the incredible opportunity to visit Wahana Keluarga Cerebral Palsy (WKCP), a remarkable community dedicated to supporting individuals with cerebral palsy and their families. This visit was not just a learning experience but one filled with understanding and empathy.

The visit to WKCP offered a chance for students to learn firsthand about the concepts they learn in class from family members of children with cerebral palsy and the inspiring members of WKCP who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy themselves. They shared their strategies for coping, the hurdles they face daily, and the unwavering love and dedication that fuels their journey. From this experience, students get to gain new insights and knowledge, as well as building new connections from the local community that aims to provide a safe space for individuals with cerebral palsy and their families. read more

Almeira Hadi, known as Mella, was a student at IUP Psychology from batch 2018 who is currently pursuing her masters degree in School Psychology at Leiden University, Netherlands. 

When asked on why she decided to pursue School Psychology, a rather rare choice for Psychology undergraduates, Mella revealed that she had always been passionate in teaching since high school. During her time as an undergraduate in IUP Psychology, she had the chance to become a lecturer’s assistant for 4 times, and she enjoyed giving feedback on students’ assignments as well as the dynamics of teachings. Following her graduation as an undergraduate, Mella had the experience as an intern for 6 months at Sekolah Cikal, where she then continued to be a teacher there. read more