ITB STIKOM Bali Rector Dr. Dadang Hermawan released one of his students, I Wayan Wisnu Wicaksana to take part in a study while working program in Japan using a work visa or tokutei ginou.
The release event was held at the ITB STIKOM Bali Renon main campus, Saturday, January 18, 2025. Dadang Hermawan said that the study while working in Japan program was a breakthrough by the STIKOM Bali Group to help students who are economically lacking in tuition fees.
“Through this program, students can finance their studies and at the same time help their family’s economy,” said Dadang Hermawan, Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Dadang said that every year, out of 1,500 new students at ITB STIKOM Bali and the group, almost 500 people apply for scholarships. Meanwhile, scholarships received from the government such as KIP Kuliah are limited, only 50-75 people.
“The rest we still accommodate with the condition that we provide scholarships but the students must be willing to work abroad, either through internships or work visas, and while abroad the students can still take online lectures with lecturers from STIKOM Bali,” he explained.
Even so, Dadang Hermawan still warns candidates that going abroad is not easy. In addition to competition among candidates because of the large number of students who want to go abroad, there is also the issue of visas that cannot be intervened by anyone.
“One of our students has participated in 7 internship interviews but couldn’t get one until he graduated and worked at Stikom Bali. Now more and more institutions are collaborating with us so that opportunities to go to Japan are increasingly open, both through internships and work visas. Throughout 2024, around Japanese companies will come to us for cooperation,” he explained.
Dadang Hermawan explained that previously through one of his business units, namely LPK Darma, ITB STIKOM Bali and Bandung University of Technology had sent around 700 students to Japan using internship visas.
“Usually after a 3-year internship, they move to a work visa. This is different from Wayan Wisnu Wicaksana, whom we sent to Japan with a work visa after we established cooperation with PT Tsubasa International as a distribution institution in Japan,” said Dadang.
The Head of the Widya Dharma Shanti Denpasar Foundation, Ida Bagus Dharmadiaksa, added that when it founded ITB STIKOM Bali 22 years ago, the foundation was committed to producing graduates who had above-average abilities, both in terms of academic ability and soft skills.
“Therefore, whatever program the Chancellor runs to improve student abilities, we will definitely support it,” said Dharmadiaksa.
The PIC of the Japan Work Study Program, Rahman Sabon Nama, said in his report that the first batch in 2024 consisted of 31 people. Wayan Wisnu Wicaksana left earlier because he already had Japanese language skills Level N-3, so he only needed a work skills certificate.
“The remaining 10 people have passed JFT N-4 and are waiting for the SSW test results so they are expected to leave for Japan in April 2025. Two more people have passed the internship interview and will enter Japan in May 2025,” explained Rahman Sabon Nama.
President Director of PT Tsubasa International Mr. Yoshiyuki Kyomoto via zoom from Yokohama, Japan, greatly appreciated Wayan Wisnu Wicaksana’s farewell event.
He admitted that he had spoken with many Japanese companies about the ITB STIKOM Bali program that encourages its students to study while working in Japan and has received a good response from Japanese entrepreneurs.
“Tomorrow (January 19, 2025) I will go to Bali, prepare candidates. Because in early February 2025 many Japanese companies will come to Bali to interview candidates for various jobs according to needs in Japan,” said Yoshiyuki Kyomoto through interpreter Sensei Lasmaria Magdalena.
Wayan Wisnu Wicaksana explained in his testimony that he obtained his N-3 Japanese language skills because he had previously studied Japanese in Okinawa and then continued his studies at Kagoshima University.
“But when Covid 19 hit, I was forced to return to Bali. After working for several years, then in 2024 I registered for an accelerated class at STIKOM Bali, after studying I found out about this program and immediately registered so I could be sent to Japan. Thank you to LPK Darma, STIKOM Bali, PT Tsubasa, PT MBC and Koperasi LPD Bali, who have helped me with my departure to Japan,” said Wisnu Wicaksana.