As a realization of the Independent Learning-Independent Campus (MBKM) curriculum, the Japanese Language Education Study Program, Undiksha held a PKL LN or Praktik Kerja Lapangan Luar Negeri (Overseas Field Work Practice Program) in Japan. The PKL LN program at the starred hotels started in 2018 as a collaboration between the university and stakeholders in Japan.
This PKL LN program is held every year as one of the internationalization program of the Japanese Language Education Study Program. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has delayed this program for two years. The socialization of this program was held again on April 12, 2022. This socialization was attended by the Japanese speakers and attended by Level 2 and Level 3 students. The socialization showed that 15 students were interested in participating in this activity. This number is less than before the pandemic. The unstable pandemic condition is one of the reasons for the reduced interest in students taking part in the PKL LN program. On April 15, 2022, the university held an internal selection. And the result showed that 12 students met the qualifications to proceed to the interview selection stage with the Japanese. There are some Japanese two-star hotels that offer the PKL LN experience, namely Oriental Hotel, Okinawa Resort, and Nikko Alivila Okinawa Hotel.
The hotels held the interview selection with the students virtually on April 22, 2022. The interview process is intended to measure students’ abilities to communicate in foreign languages, namely Japanese and English, knowledge about Japanese, and knowledge related to hospitality. From the selection results, eight students have passed to join the PKL LN programme at the Oriental Hotel and Okinawa Resort and Nikko Alivila Okinawa Hotel from July 2022 to January 2023. With limited time, the students must immediately prepare all the required documents and maintain their health for the next departure.
Through this PKL LN program, the students are expected to gain experience as well as contextual learning in improving Japanese and English language competence, knowledge in the field of hospitality, work ethics, teamwork in a multicultural work environment, and networking for job opportunities after graduation. The experience of participating in the PKL LN program not only contributes greatly to the improvement of the quality of the hard skills and soft skills of graduates, but also the achievement of the IKU or Indikator Kinerja Utama (Main Performance Index) of the Japanese Language Education Study Program. Especially IKU 2 (Students Off Campus) and IKU 6 (Academic Partnership) through learning activities in the form of internships/work practices. Hopefully, in the future, more students will be interested in joining this program.
