Bangkok, Thailand – Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) continues to expand its international engagement through a community service program aimed at enhancing the quality of Indonesian education abroad. On 10 June 2026, a multidisciplinary team of lecturers led by Prof. Dr. Heri Tjahjono, M.Si. conducted a community service program entitled “Strengthening Teachers’ Competencies as School Counselor Partners at the Indonesian School in Bangkok, Thailand” at the Indonesian School Bangkok (Sekolah Indonesia Bangkok/SIB), Thailand. The program involved 20 teachers from SIB and brought together eight lecturers representing eight faculties at UNNES, namely the Faculty of Education and Psychology (FIPP), the Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS), the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), the Faculty of Engineering (FT), the Faculty of Sports Science (FIK), the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), and the Faculty of Law (FH).
The program was designed to strengthen teachers’ capacities as School Counselor Partners by equipping them with fundamental counseling competencies to identify, assist, and provide initial support for students experiencing psychological and social challenges. Specifically, the initiative aimed to enhance teachers’ basic counseling skills, establish an early detection system for students’ emotional problems, develop a clear referral mechanism, and improve the overall psychological well-being of students at the Indonesian School in Bangkok.
The event began with opening remarks by the Chair of the Organizing Committee, Prof. Dr. Heri Tjahjono, M.Si., who emphasized the importance of collaboration among educational institutions in providing educational services that not only prioritize academic achievement but also promote students’ mental health and socio-emotional development. This was followed by a welcoming speech from the Principal of the Indonesian School in Bangkok, Maria Victoria, S.Pd., M.Pd., who expressed her appreciation for the presence of the UNNES team, highlighting the valuable expertise, experience, and best practices they brought in the field of school guidance and counseling.
The main session was facilitated by Kusnarto Kurniawan, M.Pd., Kons., who guided participants through a series of activities, including introductory discussions, presentations on fundamental counseling skills, interactive question-and-answer sessions, and case study analyses based on real situations encountered by teachers at the Indonesian School in Bangkok. Participants actively shared various challenges they face in supporting students, ranging from learning adjustment issues and emotional difficulties to social dynamics unique to an Indonesian school operating abroad. The discussions were highly interactive, with each case being collaboratively analyzed to identify practical and contextually appropriate solutions within an international educational setting.
The head of the community service team, Prof. Dr. Heri Tjahjono, M.Si., explained that the program reflects UNNES’s commitment to strengthening teachers’ capacities as strategic partners in school counseling services. According to him, teachers are the individuals who interact most closely with students in their daily lives and therefore play a crucial role in identifying emerging issues at an early stage.
“Through this community service program, we aim to strengthen teachers’ competencies as school counselor partners so that they are equipped to provide initial support to students while contributing to a more comprehensive psychological support system within schools,” he said.
As a follow-up to the program, the UNNES team presented the Student Observation and Behavior Handbook to the Indonesian School in Bangkok as a practical reference for student support and guidance. Furthermore, both institutions agreed to establish an online counseling network between UNNES and the Indonesian School in Bangkok. This initiative is expected to provide an ongoing platform for consultation and professional mentoring, enabling teachers to receive continuous academic and professional support in addressing students’ needs in the future.
The Principal of the Indonesian School in Bangkok, Maria Victoria, S.Pd., M.Pd., expressed her sincere appreciation for the successful implementation of the program. She noted that the training materials were highly relevant to the challenges faced by teachers working in Indonesian schools abroad, particularly in supporting students from diverse cultural and family backgrounds.
“We sincerely thank the UNNES lecturers for sharing their knowledge, experience, and professional guidance. This training has provided our teachers with new insights into understanding students’ psychological needs and has equipped them with valuable skills to strengthen educational services at the Indonesian School in Bangkok. We hope this collaboration will continue through sustainable mentoring and consultation programs in the future,” she stated.
This community service initiative reflects UNNES’s strong commitment to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program contributes to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by strengthening school-based mental health support and promoting students’ psychological well-being; SDG 4 (Quality Education) by enhancing teachers’ professional competencies to deliver inclusive, holistic, and student-centered education; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by fostering international collaboration between UNNES and the Indonesian School in Bangkok in developing high-quality and sustainable educational practices. Through this cross-border partnership, UNNES once again demonstrates its role as a globally engaged university committed to creating educational innovations that deliver meaningful benefits to Indonesian communities, both at home and abroad.
