Seminar on PG PAUD Program Teaching Faculty of Education (FKIP) Open University: Indonesia-Malaysia Scientific Collaboration
WISMA Open University, 11 July 2023
PG PAUD Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) Open University successfully held a seminar entitled The Role of the Teacher in Optimizing Early Childhood Development. This seminar is a collaboration between two countries involving major universities in Indonesia and Malaysia, namely the Open University (UT), Mercu Buana University (UMB), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and International University of Malaya-Wales (IUMW).
The event was attended by more than 300 lecturers, researchers and students from Indonesia and Malaysia. The one-day seminar aims to provide in-depth insight into optimizing the teacher’s role in Early Childhood education in Indonesia and Malaysia as well as the latest issues in the education process for the 3T (Disadvantaged, Frontier and Outermost) communities. In his remarks, the Dean of the Open University’s Teaching Faculty (FKIP), Prof. Dr. Ucu Rahayu, M.Sc expressed his pride at the high enthusiasm of UT, UMS, UMB and IUMW to collaborate to advance the world of education. The FKIP Dean’s statement was also supported by the Head of PG PAUD Study Program, Dr. Sri Tatminingsih, M.Pd., to continue other collaboration programs in the future and highlighted the importance of strategic discussions between Indonesia and Malaysia in facing the challenges of distance learning to reach the 3T areas.
This seminar featured prominent speakers, namely: Dr. Roslee Bin Talip, Co-Dean of Universiti Malaysia Sabah who shared his knowledge about Teacher Professionalism in facing the challenges of distance learning. Participants also gained valuable insight from Dr. Sri Tatminingsih, M.P., Head of UT PAUD PG Study Program and also an early childhood education expert who discussed the role of the Open University in improving the qualifications of PAUD teachers in distance learning. In this seminar also presented Dr. Dearly, M.Psi, Psychologist, lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology, Mercu Buana University (UMB) who discussed “preschool children’s subjective well-being” and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mimi Fitriana, Ph.D from the International University of Malaya-Wales (IUMW) who explained the importance of positive education for early childhood development.
The seminar participants really appreciated the opportunity to learn and broaden the perspective of the teacher’s role from the perspectives of Indonesia and Malaysia. The PG PAUD Seminar has also succeeded in bridging collaboration, exchange of knowledge and ideas in the fields of education, research and community service which will be woven by the four universities of UT, UMB, UMS, and IUMW.
