Purwokerto – Lecturers from the Pendidikan Bahasa Jepang Study Programme of Fakultas Ilmu Budaya at Universitas Jenderal Soedirman conducted an academic visit to internship students currently undergoing an internship program in Hamamatsu. This activity is part of efforts to monitor and strengthen international networks in the field of language education. (Purwokerto, kafapet-unsoed.com)
In a presentation session, Dian Bayu Firmansyah, S.Pd., M.Pd., lecturer of the S1 Pendidikan Bahasa Jepang Study Programme at FIB Unsoed, emphasized that one of the strategic steps for prospective students who wish to cultivate the spirit of Japanese-style edupreneurship is to choose the right study programme, one of which is PBJ FIB Unsoed. This activity was guided by Ir. Alief Einstein, M.Hum. from kafapet-unsoed.com. Bayu explained that Japan is a country with very strong tourism appeal, including for tourists from Indonesia. The uniqueness of Japanese culture, technology, and social systems make it a distinct magnet in the eyes of the world.
Besides the tourism sector, Japanese popular culture such as anime and manga also have significant global influence. The popularity of this culture has also driven international interest in studying Japanese as a foreign language. Based on a 2021 survey released by The Japan Foundation, the number of Japanese language learners in the world ranks second after China, even surpassing South Korea which is in third position.
On the other hand, Japan also faces very high demand for skilled workers. The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia has set a target of sending 70,000 Indonesian migrant workers to Japan per year, but the realization is still far from that figure. This situation opens up very large career opportunities for graduates of Indonesian higher education institutions to work professionally in Japan, both in the industrial and service sectors.
Technological developments have also made learning Japanese increasingly accessible. Many learners now use anime, manga, and social media content as a means of self-directed learning. This self-taught learning phenomenon is reflected in the story of Vania, a minimarket cashier in Purwokerto who went viral for her ability to communicate in Japanese despite having no formal educational background. Vania’s ability is concrete proof that contemporary learning media has a significant impact on mastery of foreign languages, in line with findings from various modern language education research. This opportunity was then seized by Universitas Jenderal Soedirman by opening the Pendidikan Bahasa Jepang Study Programme under the auspices of Fakultas Ilmu Budaya.
The PBJ study programme was officially established through the Decision of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Number 983/E/O/2023, and began accepting new students in the odd semester of the 2024/2025 academic year. Dian Bayu Firmansyah, S.Pd., M.Pd. is a lecturer of the S1 Pendidikan Bahasa Jepang Study Programme at FIB Unsoed who is also known to be active in developing Japanese language learning media. With extensive work experience in Japan, Bayu stated that the main advantage of PBJ Unsoed lies in its edupreneurship orientation, namely producing graduates with an entrepreneurial spirit in the field of Japanese language education. Graduates are expected not only to work as teachers in formal institutions but also to be able to become creators of productive and economically valuable Japanese language educational content through various digital platforms.
The PBJ curriculum is also designed to equip students with skills in developing Japanese language learning applications to support innovative and adaptive learning processes. As Head of Information Technology Division of ASPBJI, Bayu added that PBJ Unsoed is also aimed at producing education entrepreneurs capable of establishing Vocational Training Institutions (LPK). Through these LPK, graduates are expected to contribute to preparing competent, skilled Indonesian migrant workers ready to compete in the Japanese job market according to industry needs. To support this vision, PBJ Unsoed has prepared various strategic partnerships with academic partners as well as Business and Industry Partners (DUDI), both domestically and internationally. This programme is also in line with the implementation of MBKM, including six-month to one-year student internships in Japan as well as academic exchange and cultural training programs.
Closing his presentation, Bayu, who also has experience receiving various scholarships from Japan, encouraged high school graduates not to hesitate in choosing the Pendidikan Bahasa Jepang Study Programme at Unsoed as the first step in building a global career. He also extended an open invitation to young Indonesians who wish to develop as internationally competitive graduates with the distinctive spirit of Japanese edupreneurship in the campus environment of Universitas Jenderal Soedirman.
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ELSA ARUM RAMADHAN
RUDIYANTO
KINANTI DYAH PRAMESTI
ALHAFI AINUR FAJRI