Universitas Airlangga collaborated with the University of Notre Dame Australia, one of WUACD’s members, for a student community outreach program or BBK International program in Broome, Australia. This program is designed to allow students to experience new cultures and explore new places while researching global issues. Six students were sent from Universitas Airlangga to learn from one of the respective members of WUACD.

Students who participated in the BBK International program at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Broome, were entrusted with researching seagrass. Their role was to carry out a seagrass monitoring project in Roebuck Bay’s seagrass meadows and to become integral parts of the project. This project, part of the BBK International program, not only allowed them to blend in with Australian students but also allowed them to visit Evirons Kimberly. This organization runs the Seagrass Monitoring Project. The Broome Community Seagrass Monitoring Project, one of the longest-running and most successful citizen science projects in Western Australia, provides early warnings of changes in the marine ecosystem.

The seagrass monitoring project encaptures the implementation of SDG Point 13: Climate Action and SDG Point 14: Life Below Water. Seagrass is inhabited by many fish and invertebrates, which are food sources for fish, invertebrates, turtles, and dugongs. Seagrass is a critical bioindicator of the marine ecosystem’s health and is globally threatened by urbanization, water pollution, dredging, and climate change. This project involves Aboriginal rangers and community volunteers collecting data and monitoring the health of seagrass meadows in Roebuck Bay. The seagrass meadows of Roebuck Bay support a diversity of species that rely upon other species that make up this complex habitat.

Volunteer students are vital to the success of the project’s monitoring efforts. When the lowest tides occur in Roebuck Bay, monitorings are completed in a few hours. Students learn the traditional customs and ecology behind monitoring seagrass. They will present all their research and reports at the end of their stay.

Aside from their research, Universitas Airlangga students had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the local community. They connected with the community by listening to the histories and stories between the people overseeing the project and the Aboriginal people of Kimberly. The Narlijia Cultural and Heritage Tour was a platform for sharing stories, a key agenda in BBK International as this new wave of information gives students a broader perspective and a deeper understanding of cultural differences as well as building relationships with people from different backgrounds. More people also gets to know more about the narlijia culture as well as the aboriginal people of Kimberly.

They also had the chance to interact with Australian students and experience local communities by visiting St. Mary’s School, a local catholic school. This gets the students involved with locals and be able to interact with them through various activities. Students in the school are able to interact with foreigners, hence being able to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for diversity. Through this activity, students in St. Mary’s School were able to broad their horizons also by experiencing different cultures through the delegates in the BBK International program. Meanwhile, students from Universitas Airlangga were able to introduce their backgrounds and help locals appreciate as well as understand different cultures, reducing cultural misunderstandings and promoting tolerance.

Over the course of 12 days, students indulged in the new customs of the area and helped conduct research and data for seagrass meadows. BBK International ensures that Universitas Airlangga students are able to connect with various communities in different countries and enables students to open their eyes and reach beyond their comfort zones to better the community worldwide.