RMIT University has chosen Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) for its Study Tour to Borneo 2023 mobility programme this year that ended recently.
This study visit was sponsored by the Australian government under The New Colombo Plan, attracted 50 RMIT students from several disciplines.
The New Colombo Plan is a hallmark programme of the Australian Government that intends to increase knowledge of the Indo-Pacific region in Australia by assisting Australian students to study and intern throughout the region.
According to Centre for Internationalisation and Global Engagement of UMS, the mobility programme comprised a symposium, woodcutting workshop, cultural cookery courses, and an exhibition of student goods started off on May 29 to June 14.
“The itinerary includes a visit to KDCA for the Kaamatan festival as well as a stay at a local guesthouse in Kiulu. The highlight of the journey was a special mobility (academic exchange) programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, UMS.
"The Australian students collaborated with first year students from the Sociology and Social Anthropology department who are doing a Religion and Society course,” it said.
The statement further said, the study tour director from RMIT, Associate Professor Dr. Olivia Guntarik, and UMS faculty coordinator Dr. Trixie Tangit have designed the special mobility programme so that both RMIT and UMS students can find ways to incorporate their ideas by taking at least one aspect or element from each other's project.
“These students spend time talking with one another and travelling to places of interest throughout Sabah to expand their knowledge and understanding. Their collaborative endeavours culminated in an exhibition of free form design and posters.
"The exhibition was a major success based on the originality, effort, and learning points that both RMIT and UMS students were able to create in such a short period of time," it added.
UMS students, particularly those nearing the conclusion of their first year, developed by leaps and bounds as they forced themselves to critically think through the principles of their projects.
Meanwhile, RMIT students benefited from the programme as well, as they learned to understand local culture other than their own and used their newfound knowledge on their show.
“RMIT students incorporated local music, artwork, language as well as natural elements such as leaves and flowers to bring their projects to life,” it said.
