For many students, they learn better if they have a chance to experience something rather than to read about it. For 16 university students from Japan, Korea and Myanmar (Burma) who signed up for an off-campus educational programme in south-east Asia with Learning Across Borders, were not expecting to be swept away by the Dikir Barat performance by students and alumni of the Sahabat Society of Sunway University College
The society which promotes Malay culture put up an energetic performance as they burst with rhythmic and catchy lyrics accompanied by traditional instruments of the canang, rebana and the gong.
“It was truly an amazing performance. It was so full of spirit” said Thura, a Pre-Collegiate Programme student from Yangon, Myanmar.
After the performance the visitors had a chance to learn how to do the Dikir Barat and to mingle with the student performers. The visitors appeared to be enjoying themselves and there was enthusiastic chatter as the visiting students learnt more about the Dikir Barat and how to play the instruments. The session continued over lunch.
“I appreciate the warm hospitality of the performers” said Motoshi Kanke, a student from Keio University in Japan.
Nor Farah Farhana, a Monash University Foundation Year student of Sunway said “I really enjoyed getting to know the Japanese visitors” Her classmate, Aisyah Mahmud quipped “This was a very interesting experience and different from what we learn in class”. The 30 Sahabat Society students only had 6 days of practice with an external instructor. A few of the students composed the lyrics to their Dikir Barat.
Keiko Kobayashi, a final year Sociology student of Keio University shared “The performers are very friendly and put so much into their performance and showed how proud they were of their culture. It has been a wonderful experience”
For Dwight Clark, a former Dean at Stanford, who accompanied the visiting students, the performance was unforgettable. Learning Across Borders was initiated by Clark, in 1991 and offers answers to young people who want to combine their on-campus education with direct experience in other cultures. The visit was a good example of intercultural understanding to broaden the perspectives of students all over the world.
At the end of the visit, most of the students had exchanged email addresses with one another proving that culture is no barrier to students and diversity makes the world a more interesting and richer place.
