Two undergraduate students of the College of Agriculture completed their one-semester exchange program at IPB University in Indonesia through a grant from the Commission on Higher Education under the Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS) Program.

Arjan Chyler C. Manansala (Animal Science Major) and Reena R. Taboy (Crop Science Major) enrolled for one semester at IPB University, one of the top agricultural universities in Indonesia and took courses from IPB’s Faculty of Agriculture and the Faculty of Animal Science.

Their stay at IPB also served as an opportunity to represent Filipino culture on an international platform as they also participated in cultural performances, participated in exhibits, and prepared Filipino dishes.

Manansala also took a course on Bahasa Indonesia, conducted a mini-project about the seasonal variations in weight response of IPB beef cattle at the Fakultas Peternakan Feed Laboratory and even sat down in graduate classes together with other international students.

“My time in Indonesia has had a big impact on my goals in the BS Agriculture program, mainly because of the connections I have made, notably with the professors and the graduate students who specialize in statistics and data science,” Manansala said.

He also added that his mini-project on beef cattle helped him the best in gearing up for his future career as he gained hands-on experience in the proper care and feeding of beef cattle. Despite the initial language barrier with the workers, he shared that he picked up Bahasa Indonesia along the way and turned out to be a practical skill opening up possibilities for future business partnerships.

In addition to her coursework, Taboy conducted seed quality experiments at IPB's Seed Center in Leuwikopo and various seed laboratories within the Faculty of Agriculture. Additionally, she assessed postharvest handling techniques for diverse commodities in Indonesia at the Fakultas Pertanian Postharvest and Biomass Laboratory. Beyond campus confines, she pursued practical coursework at local nurseries in Bogor Regency, Cibodas Botanical Garden, and IPB's teaching farms in the campuses at Sukamantri and Cargill.

Taboy advised prospective students who wish to apply for the AIMS Program that they need "to have the courage to explore beyond your comfort zone and break the boundaries you have set for yourself.”

“It's a different world out there, so embrace everything you encounter, whether it's a good or a bad one. This program offers a fantastic opportunity to broaden your knowledge and perspective, experience different cultures, and engage in various activities while interacting with a lot of people you meet and have fun. Therefore, take the challenge and don't let this opportunity pass you by,” she added.

The AIMS Program is SEAMEO RIHED’s flagship regional initiative to support the mobility of students and enhance cooperation in higher education among countries in Asia and is fully funded by the sending government.

Interested students who wish to be nominated to this program from the College of Agriculture and the College of Engineering – Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering should reach out to the AIMS Focal Person of CLSU, Dr. Emil F. Ubaldo (also the chief of the IAO’s International Mobility and Intercultural Exchange Unit).