The Office for Education Abroad and the American Semester Program are delighted to share that the partnership between Michigan State University (MSU) and the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology continues into its second year through the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) program. IISMA is a Republic of Indonesia government scholarship program that funds Indonesian undergraduate students to spend one semester at top universities around the globe.

In 2021, MSU was selected to host 30 IISMA exchange students during the program’s inaugural year. In this second year of the program, MSU has the privilege of hosting another 22 IISMA exchange students. The students arrived in East Lansing at the end of August and participated in the American Semester Program orientation on August 26, 2022.

The IISMA exchange students are each enrolled in a full-time course load in more than seven departments on campus. Throughout the semester, these students are encouraged to participate in co-curricular activities across campus and in the greater Lansing community. Involvement within and beyond the campus community allows the IISMA exchange students to not only immerse themselves in American culture but also gain practical skills, both of which are goals of the IISMA program.

Many of the IISMA exchange students participated in an American Semester Program-sponsored trip to the Country Mill Orchard and Cider Mill in Charlotte, Michigan in September. Along with other MSU exchange students, the IISMA exchange students learned about apple farming in Michigan and the process of making cider and other apple and honey products. They also had the chance to take a wagon ride around the farm, pick an apple and a pumpkin, sample fresh donuts and cider, and see the beautiful scenery around rural Michigan.

In line with International Studies and Programs’ core values and MSU’s International Strategy, the partnership between MSU and IISMA represents one of many efforts to build bridges and forge relationships and teams to develop innovative solutions to pressing problems. The development of MSU students, staff, and faculty as well as IISMA exchange students as global citizens is an important aspect of MSU’s internationalization.