2024 – Regional Meeting Ambon
Van Deventer-Maas Indonesia held Regional Meeting Ambon on 21-23 August 2024 at the Hall of the Rectorate Building, 2nd Floor, Pattimura University, Ambon. Attended by 53 grantees from Pattimura University and the Indonesian Christian University of Maluku. This activity aims to improve the knowledge of VDMI Grantees so that they can strengthen their soft skills for the future and open up networking and leadership. The theme of this activity is “Know Yourself, Build Yourself and Mindfulness”,
Opened by Jonny Latuny ST, M.Eng, Ph.D, (Head of the International Office – Pattimura University), he advised the participants about the importance of understanding themselves in developing their quality. He hopes that VDMI Ambon grantees can use this activity as self-development and become a motivation in academic achievement so as to create quality human resources. The Executive Director of VDMI (Parche Manoto) continued the activity with a brief explanation of VDMS/YVDMI so that participants know the background of the VDMI scholarship. He hopes that grantees can improve their intellectual abilities and become independent people in accordance with the vision of Van Deventer-Maas Indonesia.
The first session was opened with Self-Exposure, Know Yourself by Anggoro Mukti. Participants who are mostly Gen Z began to identify the strengths and weaknesses of Generation Z which they call the “Strawberry Generation”. Previously, participants identified the generational differences between their parents (Generation X or Y) and them (Generation Z). It is known that Generation Z needs Adversity Quotient (AQ) in facing challenges. Some types are: Quitters (give up before trying), Campers (try and stop) and Climbers (try and succeed). Participants were asked to develop Adversity Quotient by “Do-Repeat” such as making assignments above standard, getting involved in committees and activities outside campus, taking the opportunity to speak with preparation, having focused discussions with many people and learning to listen. In addition, “Give a Pause and Interpret from a Different Side” can also increase participants’ AQ. By giving a pause, the information received by the brain will not experience Amygdala Hijack. The last way is to “Delay Pleasure” by thinking about whether the result is Long Term Pleasure or Long Term Pain from what is done. Participants are also taught that one person’s stress level is different from another. We must understand and cannot equate one’s stress, different people have different ways of dealing with stress.
In the second session, participants studied “Mindfulness for Critical Thinking” by Marsen Sinaga. Participants were invited to understand what the main purpose of Education and thinking in the Digital era is. Something scary is that with the development of technology, the way a person thinks and concentrates will change. Participants were asked to identify several statements and determine whether they are Concepts, Decisions or Arguments. This trains a person’s way of thinking with the basics of logic. In addition, towards Critical Thinking, participants were asked to identify which information is a decision, the main idea of the paragraph, definition and classification. Participants were very enthusiastic about answering and discussing the answers. Mindfulness is realizing that there is a self that must be familiarized. Participants were asked to close their eyes and feel every air that goes in and out of their nose and identify each part of their own body. At the end of the session, participants felt that this was the first time they had invited their bodies to dialogue and controlled their emotions better.
On the last day, participants were divided into five groups and presented solutions to the top 5 Student Monitoring System (SMS) problems. Each group performed “yel-yel” with originality, creativity and teamwork. “Red Group” became the best group. In addition, through an assessment of enthusiasm during the session (from the first day to the last) in the form of asking questions and giving responses, Patricia Salamor (grantees of the Indonesian Christian University of Maluku) and Chika Sharani (grantees of Pattimura University) became the Best Participants. Regional Meeting Ambon was closed by Dr. Salomi J. Hehanusa, SE., M.Si (Vice Chancellor for General Administration and Finance from the Indonesian Christian University of Maluku) by expressing gratitude for the beneficial activities for Ambon grantees to prepare themselves both in college life and after graduation. At the end, participants performed a poetry declamation and sang “Gandong” – a song that describes the value of togetherness in the life of “orang basudara” in the Maluku region. See you at the next Regional Meeting.
