- 7/14/2026
On Saturday, July 4, we held the 5th “Foreign Picture Books and Children’s Songs Event (Indonesia Edition).” 50 local parents and children were invited to enjoy a reading of picture books by our Indonesian students, Jody and Joevanny—short-term exchange students from Indonesia.
In the beginning, a true-or-false quiz about Indonesia was held. When the students asked, “How many islands are there in Indonesia?” and revealed that there are as many as 18,000, many in the audience were surprised that there were so many islands. Through the quiz, parents and children had fun while learning about Indonesia.
Next, Jody read a picture book about a mother kangaroo and her joey, and Joevanny read a picture book about a mother giraffe and her calf, both in Indonesian. The children listened intently to the gentle sounds of the Indonesian language—which they were hearing for the first time. They enjoyed listening to the world of these stories filled with parental care and love.
After that, the two students introduced the song and dance of “Sajojo,” a traditional folk song from the Papua region of Indonesia. “Sajojo” is a dance that is still enjoyed today in Indonesia at festivals and celebrations. The children and their parents joined in, moving along with the international students, and the entire venue was filled with smiles and laughter.
Parents who participated shared comments such as, “We don’t often have the chance to learn about other countries, so it was nice to learn about Indonesia,” “Interacting with the international students was a wonderful experience for the children,” and “It was a great opportunity to foster the children’s global awareness.”
This event is held with the aim of helping children become familiar with various cultures and languages around the world through foreign picture books and nursery rhymes. Moving forward, our university will continue to actively promote international exchange activities open to the local community and provide various opportunities for interaction, serving as a bridge between international students and the local community.