IULI International Relations Students’ Organization (HIMAHI) – Highlighted Events

By Waraney Immanuel Dendeng International Relations Student at International University Liaison Indonesia Email: waraney.dendeng@stud.iuli.ac.id

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many aspects of daily life required change and adaption to a technology-reliant lifestyle. One evident example are those events that were brought to you by the IULI International Relations Students’ Organization, or Himpunan Mahasiswa Hubungan Internasional (IULI). Consequently, we had to rely on social media and other online platforms as venues for events we planned to do, and eventually decided to initiate the so-called Weekly HI programme and Instagram live events. Both required nothing less than the amazing wonders of technology and the internet.

Our very first release of the Weekly HI programme dates to April, earlier this year, when we covered three stories per week, including the case of George Floyd, the demise of the Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala-402, and the case of Myanmar’s junta chief after a coup d’état. Weekly HI was initiated as one of the main routines that would be posted on the HIMAHI Instagram feed, covering stories and latest news in the field of International Relations. Weekly HI aimed at the creation of more insights for International Relations students. Furthermore, the programme turned out to be a great opportunity for HIMAHI members to furtherly improve their knowledges and skillsets gained through regular academic activities. We continued to provide audience with 10 different stories and cases after the first week of April 2021, featuring a wide coverage of topics, ranging from India’s pandemic-induced oxygen crisis to the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.

Going back to the Instagram live events mentioned earlier, HIMAHI has been a dominant advocate of mental health at the IULI campus – thus specifically with regards to mental health amidst university life. The choice of such should not be surprising, considering the stressful pressure that university life may bring with it during the pandemic – with technological shortcomings, online-classes, lack of social life and many other issues that have drastically impacted student life.

Our Instagram live events continued throughout the span of five days within one week, featuring posts, intended to raise awareness about just how important mental health is and mini-podcast under themes of Overworking = Burnout and Trying To Control Yourself. Another topic covered by us worth mentioning, went under the title of Underlying Symptoms of Social Anxiety, which in fact would render the main topic of the main event to follow later that week.

This main event – hosted and moderated on our digital platform on Instagram – was attended by our guest speaker, Miss Devi Sani, M.Psi., child and adolescent clinical psychologist. As hoped, the event provided its attendees and Miss Devi with a wonderful opportunity to have a fruitful and deeper discussion on what social anxiety is and how we should engage the people who have it or how we should take care of ourselves if we have it. Looking back at this event and a year full of turmoil, we are looking forward to 2022, which hopefully provides us with more creative and innovative opportunities to shape the world of International Relations and student life at the IULI campus.