Three representatives from the French Language Education Study Program at the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), are participating in a French-language tour guide training program at Authentic Indonesia, a travel agency based in Malang, throughout February 2026. The program is designed to equip students with practical skills for the tourism industry, specifically for French-speaking international tourists.
The participants are Much Yusuf and Shaina Bianca, both eighth-semester students, along with Cindy, a recent program graduate. Throughout the month-long training, they engage in hands-on fieldwork under the guidance of experienced mentors from Authentic Indonesia, which specializes in serving French-speaking travelers.
Much Yusuf, one of the participants, expressed his enthusiasm for the program, noting that the experience not only hones his French language skills but also opens up career opportunities in the tourism sector.
“This is an invaluable experience. We’re not just learning theory; we’re practicing communicating with tourists, understanding their needs, and promoting local destinations in proper, accurate French. I believe these skills will make me more competitive in the job market and support my career goals after graduation,” Yusuf said on the sidelines of the activity on Tuesday.
Yusuf is also a participant of the LANTIPin Melbourne, Australia, a six-month program that provides students with teaching practice experience at partner schools abroad. According to him, the combination of international exposure and tour guide training further strengthens his ability to adapt to multicultural environments, adding significant value relevant to the demands of the global tourism industry.
Meanwhile, Dian Permatasari, Operational Manager of Authentic Indonesia, welcomed UNNES’s initiative to send students and alums for the training program. She views this as a positive form of synergy between higher education and the tourism industry.
“We see great potential in the participants. They have a strong foundation in French; we need to guide them toward practical field requirements. Programs like this are essential for producing qualified tour guides who understand tourism while mastering foreign languages. Moving forward, we hope this collaboration can continue and perhaps even open up direct recruitment opportunities for high-performing participants,” Dian stated.
Coordinator of the UNNES French Language Education Study Program, Dr. Mohamad Syaefudin, M.Pd., explained that this activity is part of strengthening the link and match between university curricula and industry needs. He emphasized that such training programs are designed to support the achievement of university Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and to contribute to global goals and international rankings.
“We want our graduates to excel not only academically but also to be ready for the workforce. This training at Authentic Indonesia is concrete evidence of our collaboration with industry, directly supporting IKU 2 (the percentage of graduates who are employed) and IKU 5 (outcomes of industry collaboration). Furthermore, this activity aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education through off-campus learning experiences, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth by equipping participants with tourism skills, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals through strategic collaboration with industry partners,” explained Dr. Syaefudin.
He further highlighted the program’s importance in the context of global rankings. “Within the framework of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, industry-based internships and training activities like this strengthen UNNES’s reputation in the Industry and International Outlook pillars. Yusuf’s international experience through the LANTIP program in Melbourne also supports indicators for student mobility and the international research network, which are assessed in THE rankings. We hope such programs will continue to grow, further establishing UNNES as a university relevant to global needs,” he added.
Through this program, it is expected that more UNNES French Language Education graduates will be able to compete in the tourism sector, both nationally and internationally, while also helping to promote Indonesia’s tourism potential to foreign visitors.
