HumasUPNVJ - Kezia Oktavia Manik (2021), Retrisyia Arfind Putri (2022), and Annisa Shakira Meidi (2022), were successfully selected to attend the Ambassador Youth Diplomacy Academy (AYDA) organized by the United States Embassy in Jakarta, January 16, 2024.

The three female students succeeded in becoming part of the 33 selected participants from a total of 1,135 applicants on January 4, 2025. This long process was an extraordinary experience for them.

AYDA is a diplomacy learning program that will run from January 2025 to June 2025 (1 Semester) at the United States Embassy. Participants will receive various training from United States diplomats, especially Ambassador Kamala Lakhdir, deputy ambassadors, and their staff.

To be able to pass this program, participants must go through a strict selection process in the form of writing essays, namely diplomatic experience, a motivational essay to register for the AYDA program, and an analysis of the United States' contribution to Indonesia.

In addition, this program also has site visit activities to institutions related to diplomacy, such as the ASEAN Secretariat Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and so on. These three students will be trained to become reliable practitioners who are quite capable.

Please note that the AYDA program is open to applicants from all majors without exception. This program is specifically for students to fresh graduates without age restrictions. Therefore, all students from various faculties can join and register.

On the occasion, Retrisyia Arfind Putri, one of the selected participants from HI UPNVJ. Expressed her enthusiasm in the struggle to pass the selection. "My motivation to register for AYDA is to understand the practice of diplomacy directly, because practice does perfect the knowledge of diplomatic relations itself," she said.

In addition, Kezia Oktavia Manik, one of the HI UPNVJ students who participated in the program also expressed her joy after being accepted. She said that the AYDA program is considered capable of opening access for students or fresh graduates who want to start a career in diplomacy. The network formed in this program is also expected to be able to open up opportunities for future collaboration.

In this case, the networking and connectivity process becomes very important, another successful participant from HI UPNVJ, namely Annisa Shakira Meidi, said that she viewed this experience as a ' once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity ' in her journey as a student who wants to pursue her career in the realm of diplomacy.

Annisa continued by saying that this opportunity was also considered as a form of ' first hand experience ' where she could learn directly about ' the know-how and field experience of diplomacy' from experts in the environment that is the center of diplomatic activity itself, one of which is the United States Embassy in Jakarta.

Through the AYDA program, participants will gain valuable experience, build connections with diplomats and fellow participants and deepen their understanding of the diplomatic relationship between the United States and Indonesia.