Visit to Surabaya Institute of Technology in Indonesia and Preparatory Training
After completing two days of preparatory training in Jakarta, we visited the Surabaya Institute of Technology, one of the most prestigious universities in Indonesia’s second-largest city.
We exchanged views with the Vice Rector and faculty members and shared the challenges involved in supporting students with disabilities. We emphasized the importance of first understanding each student’s individual needs, rather than applying a uniform approach based solely on the type of disability. We were deeply impressed by the university’s strong commitment to the principle of “Education for All.”
We also held discussions with representatives from the five universities that will participate in the Fellowship Program in Japan in late August. Through these discussions, three key challenges common to all five universities were identified:
Developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Disability Support Units (DSUs);
Establishing a university-wide support system; and
Introducing peer support among students.
There is still much to prepare, but the entire AHDC team is committed to doing our utmost to make this initiative a success!
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Associate Professor Miyagi of the National University Corporation Tsukuba University of Technology for accompanying us and sharing his valuable knowledge and insights throughout the visit.
