ASTANA — In the effort to expand the reach of the Indonesian language on the international stage, students of the English Literature Study Program UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta who are currently undergoing an internship program at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Astana successfully initiated and organized the Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) program. This program which is titled “Discover Indonesia: Language and Culture” was implemented in the year 2026. The presence of this innovative program becomes a real manifestation of the active contribution of the academic world in supporting the internationalization of the national language at the same time introducing the cultural wealth of Nusantara to the Central Asia region.

This strategic program originated from the direction of the Head of the English Literature Study Program UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Dr. Ulyati Retno Sari, to optimize the students' internship experience at an Indonesian representative office abroad. Julia Syifa Az Zahra, an English Literature student serving as the project lead, took proactive diplomatic steps by coordinating with the Information, Social, and Cultural Affairs (Pensosbud) function at the Indonesian Embassy in Astana. This initiation process was started with facilitation from KBRI Astana staff, Agung Saputra, who accompanied the initial coordination until forwarded to the Pensosbud Function Diplomat, Joenys Duana Sirait. Thanks to a mature program design, this initiative successfully obtained approval as well as full support from the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (LBBP) of RI for Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, M. Fadjroel Rachman.

The “Discover Indonesia: Language and Culture” program was designed as a beginner-level class focused on the theme “Indonesian Language Learning through Culture.” Given the international background of the participants, the entire session was conducted online via Zoom, with English as the medium of instruction. This approach proved effective in attracting a broad audience, with approximately 20 participants from Kazakhstan and Tajikistan participating with full commitment. As a token of appreciation and academic recognition, all participants who completed the program received an official e-certificate issued by UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta.

Technical implementation was managed collaboratively between the Indonesian Embassy and the teaching team. Embassy staff member Agung Saputra served as the Master of Ceremonies (MC), guiding the program to ensure it ran dynamically. The event was officially opened and closed by Joenys Duana Sirait, the Diplomat of the Pensosbud function at the Indonesian Embassy in Astana. The active involvement and support from the Pensosbud team underscore the strong commitment of Indonesian representatives abroad to expand cultural outreach within their accreditation territory.

The academic quality of the BIPA program was maintained through the participation of two expert lecturers from the English Literature Study Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Dr. Ulyati Retno Sari and Aninda Aji Siwi, S.Pd., M.Pd., who served as primary instructors. The learning process was further supported by student teaching assistants in every session.

On the first day, the class was led by Aninda Aji Siwi, S.Pd., M.Pd., assisted by Julia Syifa Az Zahra. This session featured a highly interactive theme: a comparison of traditional cuisines between Kazakhstan and Indonesia. Through this communicative approach, participants were introduced to basic Indonesian vocabulary using culinary topics familiar to their daily lives, fostering an engaging and fun discussion space.

Meanwhile, on the second day, the learning process became more hands-on under the guidance of Dr. Ulyati Retno Sari, assisted by Aisya Sabili, a Sociology student from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), as the teaching assistant. In this session, participants were introduced to the beauty of Nusantara's traditional textiles (wastra) through batik-pattern drawing activities. Beyond just learning about material culture, participants were individually invited to practice speaking basic Indonesian, such as introducing themselves and pronouncing simple sentences.

Throughout the two sessions taking place, extraordinary enthusiasm was shown by the participants who are majority domiciled in Kazakhstan. The high interest in Indonesian language and culture among the Central Asian community was evident from their active participation in discussions, responsiveness to instructors, and confidence in speaking Indonesian fluently. The success of this BIPA program is inseparable from the comprehensive support and high appreciation provided by the Indonesian Ambassador, M. Fadjroel Rachman, and the entire staff of the Indonesian Embassy in Astana, who supported the program from the planning and negotiation stages through to its final day.

Through the success of this initiation program, the cooperative relationship between the English Literature Study Program UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta and KBRI Astana is hoped to be able to continue to be closely intertwined in the future. This initial step is projected to become a trigger for the birth of advanced BIPA development programs, as part of a sustainable linguistic diplomacy strategy, expansion of international academic networks, as well as strengthening the positive image of Indonesia on the global stage. (JSA/URS)