2026 – Regional Meeting Flores
February 4-6, 2026, Van Deventer-Maas Indonesia held a Regional Meeting Flores in Ruang Aula Magister Pedagogi Lt. 3 Universitas Flores. Fifty-two participants attended the meeting, which had the theme “Know Yourself – Selling Yourself”. It aimed to expand networks, share experiences, and build camaraderie among grantees, VDMI, and the university.
Opened by the Rector of Flores University, Dr. Willybrordus Lanamana, S.E., M.M.A., who expressed his appreciation for the ongoing collaboration with VDMI, which has helped with tuition fees and student needs for many years. He emphasized that scholarship recipients should take advantage of this forum to hone soft skills that will be useful after graduation, as well as contribute back to society. Ute Jansen (Chairperson of VDMS Board Netherlands) shared the history of the organization (VDMS-YVDMI). It provided insight to the grantees about where the scholarships they received and used came from. This was followed by a speech from Parche Manoto (Executive Director of YVDMI) explaining UNFLOR’s enthusiasm over the past five years in the Online Registration System (ORS) process and the number of grantees that has increased from year to year. She also invited grantees to actively participate in capacity building activities, both offline and online, provided by VDMI.
In the first session, Hari Setyowibowo shared on the topic of “Thriving Under Pressure.” He discussed the symptoms of stress (cognitive, emotional, physical, behavioral), the Yerkes-Dodson concept of optimal stress levels, and Lazarus-Folkman’s coping strategies: problem-focused and emotion-focused. Previously, VDMI conducted a survey of grantees on the topic of “Mental Health Mapping – Mental Well-Being.” The survey revealed the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among grantees, with health coping strategies such as prayer and positive thinking dominating, despite challenges such as excessive isolation.
During the event, there was a sharing session by Ivo ten Pierick (treasurer of VDMS Netherlands and wealth manager) who shared tips on wise financial management, and Rosario who recounted his experience at NASA designing space satellite components. The discussion sparked enthusiasm among participants with in-depth questions about financial opportunities and space life.
The second session continued with Dr. Yesi Puspita, S.Sos., M.Si., who discussed communication psychology: self-concept, verbal/non-verbal communication (Mehrabian’s 3V theory: 7% verbal, 38% vocal, 55% visual), the influence of emotions, ethics, and the REACH formula for sustainable relationships. Activities such as “Gambar Buta” train empathy and verbal precision, while “Dengar dengan Hati” emphasizes cognitive-affective empathy.
On the last day, participants divided into five groups presented the Top 5 Problems from the Student Monitoring System (SMS): Padar Group (Tools), Kelimutu Group (Food), Komodo Group (English), Inerie Group (Family), and Moke Group (Time). The Best Group was selected based on the communication skills of the group representatives in their presentations, the measurability and applicability of the presentation material (in terms of solutions), teamwork, and originality in creating “yel-yel”. The Best Participants were: Klaudia Sindisia Tepi Soba, Martinz Jacquito Bradafi, and Wilhelmina E Yudith Mame. They were selected based on their activity during the session (three days) in the form of giving opinions, answering questions, and being active in the group. In addition, sensitivity to the surroundings and helping in the running of the session were also taken into consideration. The event closed with an art performance featuring traditional dances from Ende, Flores. See you at the next Regional Meeting.
