FKIP Superior Private Campus UNPRI Receives Visit from Mr. Wichan Anisong, a Teacher from Thailand: Cultural and Language Collaboration through the BIPA Program
Building Cross-Cultural Collaboration through the BIPA Program at UNPRI
Medan, UNPRI - Universitas Prima Indonesia (UNPRI) once again becomes the center of international attention! This socio-technopreneurship and outstanding campus received a special visit from Mr. Wichan Anisong, a Senior Professional Level Teacher (Teacher K3) from Ban Donrak School, Pattani Province, Thailand, on Friday (17/10/2025). Mr. Wichan, who was accompanied by his wife, was warmly welcomed by Dr. Dian Fitriyani, S.S., M.Hum., Dean of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) UNPRI, along with students in the FKIP room on the 19th floor of the UNPRI Building on Sampul Street No. 3, Medan Petisah. The welcome ceremony was lively, with a dynamic and attractive Toba traditional dance performance by FKIP UNPRI students. The atmosphere of camaraderie was further enhanced when Mr. Wichan joined in the dance and interacted directly with the students.
Interestingly, Mr. Wichan is fluent in Indonesian! In a casual conversation, he shared his experience of receiving the Developing Countries Partnership (KNB) scholarship from the Indonesian Government to study at the Indonesian Education University (UPI) for three years. "Since then, I have been able to speak Indonesian and Malay because this language is very close to the language in my hometown, Patani or Yawi," he said with a smile. The KNB program itself is a flagship scholarship program for foreign students to study Indonesian for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) and learn about Indonesian culture. FKIP UNPRI has also become one of the universities that develops the excellent BIPA program and is currently exploring cooperation related to the KNB scholarship to expand global educational networks.
"UNPRI is very open to international cooperation that strengthens excellent character, competitiveness, and global insight. The BIPA program at UNPRI is a key selling point as Indonesian language teaching is now spread across dozens of countries and continues to grow every year. Mr. Wichan's visit is a tangible proof of this connection. I met him when we were both pursuing our master's degree at UPI Bandung, and today, I invited him after enjoying the views of Lake Toba, which has been designated by UNESCO as a Global Geopark," said Dr. Dian Syahfitri. She emphasized that this cross-cultural spirit reinforces UNPRI's role as an outstanding campus that upholds the values of socio-technopreneurship towards becoming a World Class University.
Mr. Wichan's ability to speak Indonesian, which is now a diplomatic language of the world and one of UNESCO's official languages, made his interaction with UNPRI students smooth and warm. Not only fluent in Indonesian and Malay, but he is also proficient in English and Thai, making him an inspiring multilingual educator. Mr. Wichan completed his B.A. in English Education from Yala Rajabhat University, Thailand, and his M.A. in Linguistics from the Indonesian Education University (UPI), and he has also received an English language scholarship at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad City, INDIA.
Sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs, India. His extensive academic experience motivates UNPRI students to see opportunities for cross-country learning through scholarship programs like BIPA, KNB, and others.
During the visit, Mr. Wichan was also taken on a tour of the FKIP UNPRI Art and Culture Gallery, one of the leading laboratories showcasing the cultural wealth of North Sumatra. He appeared enthusiastic while viewing the collection of traditional clothing, musical instruments such as the Malay accordion, sarune, and surdam from Karo, as well as the weaving tools for Malay songket fabric. Together with his wife, he even tried on traditional costumes from the gallery. "The culture here is very vibrant, and I am happy to learn directly from the students," said Mr. Wichan with enthusiasm.
Not only an educator, Mr. Wichan is also known as an entrepreneur in the traditional food sector. He is currently developing a business called Tempe Bavashi Thailand, inspired by his experiences while studying in Indonesia. “I learned how to make tempe in a small industry while I was in Bandung. That experience opened up great opportunities for me to develop it in Thailand, and now I have over 100 branches in Thailand,” he shared happily. Now, his tempe products are sold nationwide in his country and have even been exported around the world. His success story serves as an inspiration to UNPRI students about the importance of socio-technopreneurship values, combining education, culture, and adaptive social entrepreneurship to the development of digital technology. "The key is, never stop learning," Mr. Wichan advised.
"Mr. Wichan's visit to UNPRI not only strengthens the relationship between UNPRI, especially FKIP, which offers the Bachelor's Degree in Indonesian Language and Literature Education and the Bachelor's Degree in English Education, as well as the Master’s in Indonesian Language Education, but also with the educational world in Thailand in the future. This opens up opportunities for collaboration in language teaching, cultural exchange, and cross-country internships. This collaboration will become a tangible step for UNPRI in strengthening international networks and producing graduates who are ready to compete on the international stage," said Dr. Dian Syahfitri, concluding the meeting with Mr. Wichan, who immediately headed to Kualanamu International Airport to return to Pattani, Thailand. (Yd / Datok Yan Djuna – Marketing Communications UNPRI).
News About "Marketing Communications:"
2025-10-29 11:22:19 by Andrian Reinaldo Crispin
Membangun Kolaborasi Lintas Budaya melalui Program BIPA di UNPRI
2025-10-29 11:22:19 by Andrian Reinaldo Crispin
Membangun Kolaborasi Lintas Budaya melalui Program BIPA di UNPRI
2025-10-29 11:22:19 by Andrian Reinaldo Crispin
Membangun Kolaborasi Lintas Budaya melalui Program BIPA di UNPRI
2025-10-29 11:22:19 by Andrian Reinaldo Crispin
Membangun Kolaborasi Lintas Budaya melalui Program BIPA di UNPRI
2025-10-29 11:22:19 by Andrian Reinaldo Crispin
Membangun Kolaborasi Lintas Budaya melalui Program BIPA di UNPRI
Other News
2025-10-29 11:22:19 by Andrian Reinaldo Crispin
Membangun Kolaborasi Lintas Budaya melalui Program BIPA di UNPRI
2025-10-29 11:22:19 by Andrian Reinaldo Crispin
Membangun Kolaborasi Lintas Budaya melalui Program BIPA di UNPRI
2025-10-29 11:22:19 by Andrian Reinaldo Crispin
Membangun Kolaborasi Lintas Budaya melalui Program BIPA di UNPRI
2025-10-29 11:22:19 by Andrian Reinaldo Crispin
Membangun Kolaborasi Lintas Budaya melalui Program BIPA di UNPRI
2025-10-29 11:22:19 by Andrian Reinaldo Crispin
Membangun Kolaborasi Lintas Budaya melalui Program BIPA di UNPRI