Fourteen fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) students of the University of San Agustin (USA) brought their Indonesia academic and cultural exchange program closer to the community through a visit to Yayasan Panti Asuhan Pintu Elok, a residential home providing care and support for children and a partner community of Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH), in Tangerang on 08 September 2026.
As part of the USA delegation’s two-day academic and cultural exchange with UPH, the visit was facilitated by the University, with the students accompanied by Director John Paul P. Mondejar of the International Relations Office (IRO), who served as Faculty Adviser.
The USA students spent time with the children of Pintu Elok in an afternoon of fellowship, interaction, and shared experiences. The visit offered the students an opportunity to step beyond the classroom and connect with the children through simple moments of conversation, play, and companionship.
For Denise Allyson Libo-on, one of the participating BSFS students, the experience highlighted how meaningful connections can be formed even without sharing the same background.
“Our visit to Pintu Elok reminded me that connection does not always require the same language, culture, or life experiences. Sometimes, simply being present, spending time together, and sharing a smile are enough to create a meaningful bond.”
Fellow BSFS student Hiza Mueño likewise reflected on the personal significance of the encounter and its connection to their formation as future Foreign Service professionals.
“What made the visit special was that we were able to experience Indonesia not only through its institutions and culture but also through the people we met. Spending time with the children reminded me that beyond differences in language, culture, or background we are all connected by our shared humanity. Their warmth, kindness, and genuine joy showed me that meaningful connections do not always require words. International exchange is not only about learning from one another but also about showing empathy, sharing kindness, and recognizing the simple human values that bring us closer together.”
For Director Mondejar, the encounter highlighted the importance of bringing the University’s Augustinian values into its international engagements.
“International exchange should not be confined to classrooms, conferences, and institutional visits. It is also about encountering people, listening to their stories, and building friendships across borders. For us at the University of San Agustin, these encounters are also an opportunity to live out our Augustinian identity through Unitas, Caritas, and Veritas. In the simplicity of spending time with the children, our students experienced Caritas—not simply as a value we speak about, but as something we practice through compassion, fellowship, and genuine human encounter. This is an important part of forming Foreign Service students who are not only prepared to represent their country, but are also grounded in the values of an Augustinian education.”
For the students, the experience was a meaningful part of their time in Indonesia, allowing them to form personal connections and share warmth and friendship with children from a different cultural setting. It also provided an opportunity to experience a community engagement initiative connected to UPH and its work with partner communities.
More than a stop in the delegation’s itinerary, the visit reflected the human dimension of international exchange. The students experienced how meaningful connections can be built through genuine interaction, kindness, and a willingness to share time with others—values that transcend national and cultural boundaries.
The experience also complemented the students’ formation as future Foreign Service professionals. Diplomacy extends beyond formal negotiations and government-to-government relations; it is also strengthened through people-to-people diplomacy, where individuals create bonds of friendship and mutual understanding across borders.
The visit likewise reflected the Augustinian value of Caritas, emphasizing care for others and the importance of human encounter. For the USA students, their time with the children of Pintu Elok became an opportunity not only to share but also to listen, interact, and appreciate the simple yet meaningful ways people can connect despite differences in language, culture, and background.
The Pintu Elok visit formed part of the USA delegation’s activities in Indonesia following its academic engagement at Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) in Tangerang on 07-08 September. Together, the activities gave the students a well-rounded international experience combining academic exchange, cultural interaction, and meaningful human encounters.
The engagement also highlighted the broader value of the USA–UPH partnership, demonstrating how academic cooperation can create opportunities that extend beyond the university classroom and foster meaningful connections between students and communities.
The University of San Agustin expresses its appreciation to Universitas Pelita Harapan for facilitating the visit and for providing the USA students with an opportunity to engage with the children of Pintu Elok as part of their international experience in Indonesia.
Through its international academic and cultural exchange programs, USA continues to provide students with opportunities to learn not only from classrooms and institutions abroad, but also from the people and communities they encounter along the way.
Grounded in its Augustinian values of Unitas, Caritas, and Veritas, the University continues to foster an internationalization experience that develops students who are academically prepared, culturally aware, compassionate, and ready to build bridges among peoples and nations.
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