This visit is a part of a collaboration program between ITB and SMU in the field of human resources that aims to prepare students to face challenges in the context of human resources management.

The activity began with a campus tour across all ITB’s faculties which was accompanied by ITB students from SBM and Faculty of Industrial Technology. The students then were welcomed by the Head of Division of International Partnership under the Bureau of Partnership, Andika Putra Pratama, Ph.D., and a lecturer from SBM, Dr. Nurlaela Arief.

In the welcoming session, the SBM professor Andika gave a lecture on Intercultural Management. In the lecture, Andika talked about how to manage cultural diversity in the context of human resource management.

“We need to understand that culture is very complex. It involves religions, languages, values, and social norms. So, when we are interacting with somebody with a different background, it is important to respect those differences and try to understand their mindset, and also learn how to complement each other. We need to make an effort to manage the conflicts that arise from differences in order to cooperate optimally,” Andika stated.

Through this collaboration, students from both universities are expected to develop the understanding and skills that are needed to be successful in the global industry, especially to face the challenges of human resource management in a complex and multicultural environment. The cooperation between ITB and SMU in this field of human resources is very important considering the challenges in managing the workforce is getting more complex and diverse. In this context, intercultural management is important for business students from SMU and SBM-ITB as a global future leader to understand how to optimally manage diverse cultures in their future career.

The SMU team will stay in Bandung for a week. Together with students from SBM-ITB, they will be participating in activities such as company visits, real business case projects with partner companies and presenting their works. The visit will be concluded with a Cultural Tour visiting tourist destinations across Bandung.

This IRO ITB managed event was also integrated with one of the SBM ITB’s 2023 community service program which is headed by Andika Putra Pratama, N. Nurlaela Arief, Aurik Gustomo, Ahmad Fajar, and Umi Zuraida. The community service program provides advice to companies and organizations that partnered with them, such as PT Kazee and CDP.

This event is a multicultural collaboration program that prioritizes human resources in the framework of community service, where organizations/companies that become the client act as a part of the society.

Photo: ITB Partnership BureauTranslator: Favian Aldilla R (Civil Engineering, 2019)