Contributor: Achmad Jatnika
UIII, Depok - Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) again held an International Iftar event on campus on Thursday, April 4, 2024. This event was held to become a forum for social and cultural exchange between all the students of UIII. International Iftar was the second time UIII has held an International Iftar after this campus was established.
This year, students from various territories gathered, and several students introduced food from their countries. For example, students from Nigeria, Gambia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan make dishes typical of their countries.
Yahya, a student from Nigeria, revealed that he tasted food from Gambia and Afghanistan at this event. He indicated that he liked the food, mainly because the food was different from those of his country. “Really tastes great, different from my own country, you know, the taste of food, and it's really great,” he said.
He says events like this are essential, especially during Ramadan, because they will bring unity and togetherness among all UIII students.
Saemah Shamim, a student from Nepal, said that every country has a unique taste in preparing its food, and this event was an opportunity to experience this distinctive taste. “I loved all the foods here, and we hope we still have this kind of program in the future,” she said.
Meanwhile, a student from the Philippines, Pakal, expressed his happiness at this event. He explained that this event provided strong compassion among UIII students because it was a forum to meet and get to know each other.
“So, the importance of this event for me is that we meet, know each other, and experience food from different countries. We also have an opportunity to meet people from various countries, so for me, this gives strong compassion for us, students, and future researchers," he said.
Likewise, Saemah also felt that an event like this would be beneficial because students come from various countries, so it would be an opportunity for students to experience different foods and non-academic exploration.
“It gives us a chance to explore not only in academic [field] but also outside of the academic. So, it's really interesting and fascinating. It also attracts these students to come and enjoy the food. Because, you know, food is life," Saemah added.