By Niña Christelle Sumintac, STRATCOM Correspondent

Ten Indonesian students completed their month-long internship through the SEA-Teacher Project at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) Laboratory Schools in Laoag City and Batac City from February 3 to March 3.

The interns, who belong to the 10th batch, were Qurrota Ayun Shofa Qurana, Salsabila Cahyani Savitri, and Kuntum Fitriana from Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto (UMP); Fitria Ika Ari Yasmida and Arjuna Satria Nugraha from Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta (UPY); and Trisman Liu, Derrel I. Dhani Wadu, Susana S. M. Sindono, Yoseph Ricardo Bessie, and Melkior P. Babanong from the University of Nusa Cendana (UNDANA).

During the program, the ten students gained hands-on teaching experience in local classrooms while sharing their knowledge with Filipino students and teachers.

Salsabila Cahyaning Savitri, an English education student, expressed gratitude to MMSU for the support they received as foreign interns. “I was also impressed by the students' strong adherence to ethics and good manners,” she said.

“The internship experience at the MMSU SEA-Teacher program has broadened my perspective and equipped me with valuable skills that I can apply in my future career as an educator,” she added.

MMSU Internationalization, Linkages, and Partnerships Director Jeanette Dials explained that the program allows the university to engage in both outbound and inbound student exchanges in Southeast Asia.

“This is an indication of our commitment to the university's internationalization initiatives. We are globally competitive, assertive, and adaptive,” she emphasized.

Prof. Dials also highlighted that for the 10th batch of the SEA-Teacher program, MMSU recorded the highest participation, with 52 outbound students sent to partner institutions and 39 inbound students hosted by the university.

The SEA-Teacher Project, initiated by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), allows students from member countries to experience teaching practices abroad. It encourages the development of professional teaching skills, cultural sensitivity, and a greater understanding of the challenges faced by educators in the region.