International students receiving the KNB scholarship attended Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) classes with GLC ITS instructor, Dra Ratna Indiah, to prepare them to communicate during their studies in Indonesia (Source: GLC ITS Documentation)

ITS Campus, GLC News — Global Language Center (GLC) at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) marked the conclusion of the 2025/2026 Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) Program for international students receiving scholarships from the Kemitraan Negara Berkembang (KNB) and The Indonesian AID Scholarship (TIAS). The program was conducted over different timeframes for each scholarship scheme. The KNB program ran from September 8, 2025, to June 10, 2026, while the TIAS program ran from November 4, 2025, to April 1, 2026. The program aimed to equip international students with Indonesian language skills to support both their academic studies and daily life while studying at ITS.

The KNB & TIAS BIPA programs were attended by 19 international students from Pakistan, Uganda, Kenya, Afghanistan, Ghana, Bangladesh, the Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Timor-Leste. The BIPA program was designed to meet the specific needs of each scholarship scheme. For KNB students, the program was designed to equip participants with academic-level communication skills, as lectures are conducted in Indonesian. Meanwhile, TIAS students were provided with basic communication skills to support their daily activities while living and studying in Indonesia.

As part of the program, KNB students took courses in Indonesian for Survival (BIS) and Indonesian for Academic Purposes (BIAP). Meanwhile, TIAS students received BIS instruction focused on everyday communication skills. In addition to classroom instruction, GLC ITS also organized field trips to various institutions and other campuses. Through these activities, students were able to practice their Indonesian language skills directly with members of the local community while expanding their networks among fellow BIPA students.

To mark the program’s conclusion, GLC ITS held an open talk and sharing session aimed at gathering feedback from participants regarding their learning experiences during the BIPA program. These sessions served as an opportunity to recognize and appreciate the participants’ learning journey and celebrate their successful completion of the BIPA program at ITS.

One of the GLC ITS instructors, Mr. Mirfat MPd, explained that the Indonesian language proficiency of international students enrolled in the BIPA program varied considerably. According to him, some students were able to use Indonesian effectively, both in everyday communication and for academic purposes.

International students who are recipients of the KNB scholarship practiced their Indonesian speaking skills through conversation sessions in BIPA classes organized by GLC ITS (Source: GLC ITS Documentation)

“In my opinion, their proficiency in Indonesian varies. Some are already proficient and can even give presentations in Indonesian quite well. Some are already fluent in everyday communication. However, some still need to practice more,” he said.

He added that students’ proficiency in Indonesian generally continued to improve the longer they stayed in Indonesia. By continuing to practice and communicate with the local community, international students are expected to continue developing their language skills so they can better adapt to both the academic and social environments while studying in Indonesia.

Unlike formal academic programs, the BIPA program is not designed as a pass-or-fail program. Final assessments are conducted to provide feedback on each student’s language progress and to encourage them to continue developing their Indonesian language skills independently.

In line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Quality Education, the BIPA program provides access to language learning that supports the academic success of international students. The program also promotes a more inclusive education by reducing language barriers for international students in accessing academic and social environments in Indonesia.

Through this program, ITS hopes that international students will participate more actively in both academic and social activities on campus. The success of the BIPA program also demonstrates ITS’s commitment to strengthening ITS’s internationalization efforts by creating a learning environment that supports students from various countries. (*)

Written by: Alzena Mayla Shabrina
Editor: Global Language Center, ITS