Depok-Fransiskus Antonius Mahendra Harimurti, a student of the Multimedia Broadcasting study program, Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI), was the only student from Indonesia at the Youth Capacity and Building Training Model APEC activity in early July (July 3-6, 2024) which took place in Taiwan. At the activity, he and students from Taiwan created a project entitled “Empowering Athlete’s Career Growth: Fostering Mental Well-Being in APEC”.
The title was chosen after research and networking with other countries, such as Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam who participated in the event. In addition, the problems that often occur in athletes from almost all economies who experience difficulties in career transition after retirement, also became the background for choosing the title.
(Photo: Fransiskus Antonius Mahendra Harimurti, student of the Multimedia Broadcasting study program)
Mahendra and his partners’ project focuses on providing training for athletes through two workshops each year. In addition, the project also aims to build an online community for athletes to network with each other and coaches.
“The preparation started from making concept notes containing specific outlines, including project summary, objectives, and alignment, then presented to other delegations and successfully approved by seven countries, which means it exceeded the minimum requirements,” said Mahendra.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), is an intergovernmental organization that promotes economic development and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region through various projects. APEC provides opportunities for students from all APEC member economies to participate in training or simulations that hone their skills in discussing and discussing related economic issues in official international conferences with full funding assistance. At the conference, a country’s project must be approved by APEC member economies with at least 6 co-sponsors to be implemented.
The program is one of the implementations of cooperation between the UI Vocational Education Program and the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO). In addition to cooperation in the form of student mobility, other programs will continue to be developed, starting from teaching to student exchange between UI Vocational academics and university representatives in Taipei.
(Photo: Mahendra during the StudyXChange 4 activity in Malaysia)
Mahendra admitted that he was interested in participating in various international programs because of the value of giving back. The experience increased his efficacy because he networked with students from abroad and gained various perspectives. “Through this activity, I gained a lot of experience and new friends. I hope that my participation in this program can be one form of movement of the young generation towards world socio-economic issues. In addition, I can give back the things I have, learn, or know, especially to the underprivileged community,” said Mahendra.
Previously, one of the activities that Mahendra participated in was the Youth Abroad Expedition #4 with the theme Cikgu Mengajar in Malaysia in November 2023. He and his friends from Indonesia taught reading, writing, and arithmetic to the surrounding community. Mahendra also participated in the StudyXChange #4 activity held by the Global Youth Ambassador in Malaysia in May 2024. On that occasion, Mahendra and other young generations provided teaching, activities with residents, and early sexual education to the community.
(Photo: Mahendra with other volunteers at the Cikgu Mengajar activity in Malaysia)
He said, “Ultimately, the international activities that I participated in became a stepping stone for me and other young generations to learn, develop, and give back insight to society. I am sure that other young generations can also explore themselves according to their abilities and competencies to have a positive impact on the surrounding community and the world community.”
