The Academic Side of SST

Daily life on SST provides incredibly rich learning experiences, from living with host families to simply experiencing waking up in a new culture each day. But the learning doesn’t stop there. Students also attend language class each afternoon, hear lectures from local experts in their fields, tour local organizations, and participate in hands-on workshops and field trips. 

We were officially welcomed by administrators and instructors at UKDW, a Christian university with a strong relationship with Goshen’s SST program that has developed over decades. UKDW is where students will study language (Bahasa Indonesia) in the afternoons, hear lectures from scholars on a variety of topics, and meet with language buddies to practice their skills.

Meeting language buddies at the UKDW welcoming ceremony:

Later in the week, we were warmly welcomed by the Rector, vice-Rector, and International Office at UIN, a Muslim university where students will hear lectures, participate in facilitated conversations with student groups on campus, tour a mosque, learn about Islamic prayer and practice, take a calligraphy workshop from a Muslim artist, and learn about Islamic martial arts. 

Our academic partners have poured immense energy and care into the programming for our students, and we look forward to learning with and from them this semester.