More than 100 Indonesian students from the University of Twente (UT), Hogeschool Saxion and ITC came together on Saturday, October 11 at the Bastille to celebrate the inauguration of the new student association, the Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia (PPI) Enschede.
This event marked their recognition as an international student organization by the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and the UT. Ivan Sugik Putra, the chairman of the association said that the main aim of PPI Enschede was to create awareness of Indonesian culture and heritage among the international student community as well as to act as a uniting platform for the Indonesian students living in Enschede.
The event showcased the rich culture of the Indonesian people through live music, ethnic dances, Indonesian food and a fashion show where models wore traditional outfits representing different regions of the country. The organization plans to continue promoting Indonesian culture through band competitions, movie screenings and food festivals.
Guests and renowned speakers at the event included: Firdaus Dahlan, Counselor of Information and Socio-Cultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague, UT Professor Nico Schulte Nordholt, Marie Rietburg, a Dutch language teacher of Indonesian origin who has been living in The Netherlands for the past 40 years, Karin Paardenkooper and Thérèse ter Heide - Noll from the UT International Office.
`I hope that PPI Enschede can act as a role model for the various Indonesian student organizations in Holland and unite them together on one common platform,' said Dahlan. Andy Rusiawan, a master's student at Eindhoven University had traveled to the UT, especially to attend this event. `It makes me feel so proud to see Indonesian culture being promoted outside my country,' he said.
`This is a wonderful day,' said Paardenkooper. `The Indonesian students have been organizing events for a few years now. Their formal recognition was long overdue. I have been waiting for this day for a long time. Now the Student Union can provide them with all the necessary support to help their organization grow. I wish them all the very best in their endeavors,' she said.
Supriyo Chatterjea
For further information about the association, visit this website: www.ppienschede.com.
