The Faculty of Education and Psychology (FIPP), Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), welcomed dozens of students from Universiti Malaya as part of a student exchange program on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
This initiative forms part of the FIPP International Forum 2026, a collaborative endeavor between FIPP UNNES, Universiti Malaya, and UIN Salatiga.
The program provides Universiti Malaya students with the opportunity to participate directly in academic lectures at FIPP UNNES. During their visit, they engaged in in-depth study of Human Resource Management (HRM) and supervision within the context of guidance and counseling.
In addition to the visiting students, postgraduate students from the Faculty of Human Resources at FIPP also participated in the program. The face-to-face sessions were conducted in the smart classroom of Building A3, FIPP UNNES.
The Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Affairs of FIPP UNNES, Farid Ahmadi, S.Kom., M.Kom., Ph.D., stated that the program represents a strategic step toward enhancing FIPP UNNES’s international visibility. He emphasized that participating students benefit not only from direct academic engagement but also from formal academic recognition through a credit transfer scheme.
“Today, students from Universiti Malaya are attending in-person lectures, which will be followed by online sessions. The courses they undertake here are recognized by their home institution through a credit transfer scheme, and we are able to conduct direct academic assessment,” Farid noted.
The lectures were delivered by Prof. Dr. Awalya, M.Pd., Kons., Dr. Ernest Ceti Septyanti, M.Sc., Dr. Binti Isrofin, M.Pd., and Dr. Ipah Saripah, M.Pd. The faculty underscored a paradigm shift in management theory, moving beyond viewing individuals merely as instruments of production.
Contemporary Human Resource Management places human dignity and sustainability principles at the center of organizational policy. Students were encouraged to adopt a more humanistic approach to institutional governance and management.
The discussions gained further depth during sessions on the strengths-based approach. Universiti Malaya students examined the importance of identifying individual potential as a foundation for building healthy and resilient organizations.
This approach is particularly relevant for doctoral candidates in guidance and counseling, especially in fostering inclusive work environments. The emphasis shifts from identifying deficits to cultivating the unique capacities of each individual.
The sessions also highlighted that investment in human capital extends beyond administrative considerations. It constitutes a strategic alignment between organizational objectives and mental well-being. Innovation within educational institutions depends significantly on the capacity to position human resources as dignified and strategic partners.
Through this collaboration, FIPP UNNES reaffirms its commitment to strengthening international networks while advancing modern, human-centered management perspectives.
The initiative also contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and Goal 4 (Quality Education), by promoting higher education standards that are adaptive to global benchmarks.
Looking ahead, this partnership is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two universities and to foster the advancement of educational scholarship in the Southeast Asian region.
