Time & Location
May 29, 2026, 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT

Zoom

About the event
Join the US–ASEAN Young Professionals Association (UAYPA) and Universitas Indonesia’s Lembaga Bahasa Internasional (LBI FIB UI) for an engaging 90-minute webinar exploring Indonesian culture, language, and academic opportunities at one of Southeast Asia’s leading universities.

This interactive session is designed for heritage learners, students, young professionals, and anyone interested in strengthening their understanding of Indonesia’s language and cultural identity in a global context.

Participants will explore Indonesian history, traditions, social practices, and everyday etiquette through interactive discussions and guided activities. The webinar will also feature a beginner-friendly “Indonesian 101” segment introducing participants to the Indonesian language, pronunciation, basic self-introductions, and key linguistic features that make Bahasa Indonesia accessible to learners worldwide.

The program will conclude with an overview of Universitas Indonesia’s BIPA (Bahasa Indonesia for Foreign Speakers) programs, including flexible online and in-person learning opportunities, academic pathways, and enrollment information for future study.

Moderator

Azira Ahimsa

Azira Ahimsa serves as ASEAN Co-Chair of the U.S. ASEAN Young Professionals Association and is a 2025 Technology Rising Expert at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. She has held digital trade and technology-focused roles at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission and the UK Department for Business and Trade in Jakarta, where she led the AI Trade Mission to Indonesia, initiated a cross-border technology investment scheme, and helped build the end-to-end delivery of Austrade’s Indonesia Landing Pad initiative.

Azira is also the co-founder of Athena Investing, a UK-based impact investing platform, and previously worked in aviation consulting in Denmark. She is an alumna of Durham University and the University of Western Australia, with academic backgrounds in defense studies and commerce.

Featured Speakers

Raissa Rizkia

Raissa Rizkia is a compassionate and progress-oriented Indonesian language educator with more than nine years of experience teaching Bahasa Indonesia as a Foreign Language (BIPA) at LBI Universitas Indonesia. She specializes in language instruction, syllabus development, online learning design, and intercultural education.

Raissa has taught Indonesian for academic, professional, and business purposes in collaboration with organizations including British Petroleum, YMCA, Mitsubishi Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui, and Itochu. She has also led language immersion programs for the Australian Defence Force and co-authored multiple Indonesian language learning modules and publications for international institutions and refugee education initiatives.

A Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) grantee and former Indonesian Language Teacher at Harvard University’s HKS Ash Center, Raissa is deeply committed to fostering cultural empathy and expanding access to Indonesian language education worldwide.

Muhammad Abduh

Muhammad Abduh is an experienced Indonesian language educator and sociolinguistics specialist who has taught Bahasa Indonesia as a Foreign Language since 2004 at LBI FIB Universitas Indonesia. His work focuses on Indonesian language instruction, Indonesian culture and history, sociolinguistics, and curriculum development.

In addition to teaching at Universitas Indonesia, he has served as an Associate Teacher at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, where he taught Indonesian language and culture for beginners and business learners. He has extensive experience developing teaching materials, coordinating language proficiency assessments, and leading professional development workshops for BIPA instructors throughout Indonesia.

Muhammad Abduh currently serves in leadership roles within APPBIPA (Association for the Teaching and Promotion of Indonesian as a Foreign Language) and is passionate about advancing Indonesian as an international language across Southeast Asia and beyond.

Program Highlights
• Introduction to Indonesian culture and identity

• Indonesian traditions, holidays, and social etiquette

• Beginner-friendly Indonesian language lessons

• Interactive quiz with small prizes

• Overview of BIPA programs at Universitas Indonesia

• Flexible learning opportunities for international students and professionals