Innovative Mobility Program Series for Asian Students' Equitable Learning Opportunities Through Interdisciplinary Methodologies

Virtual Asia Exploration (VAx) and Hybrid Asia Exploration (HAx) are innovative mobility programs designed to provide equitable learning experiences for Asian students, regardless of location or financial constraints. Facilitated by a diverse team of 12 multinational lecturers from 5 countries (Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines), these programs offer an interdisciplinary educational experience consisting of technology, history, and cultures of Asian countries to enhance participants' self-efficacy [1]. VAx was initiated as a response to satisfy the desperate demand for mobility programs hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a Digital Transformation solution that offers borderless mobility programs regardless of location and budget limitations. After three batches in 2021 and 2022 with a total of 239 certificate awardees, the program transitioned to a hybrid model in 2023. Of the 88 registered participants from 10 different nationalities, 44 attended the onsite sessions at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Indonesia, engaging in face-to-face lectures and local community field studies. Those unable to travel continued participation online. Through an interdisciplinary approach [2], the programs and courses aligned with the 21^st Century Imperative [3] as well as the Washington Accord 11 Global Attribute Profiles (WA11GAP) defined by The International Engineering Alliance (IEA) [4]. This article explores strategies for encouraging engineering students to participate in mobility programs fostering global competence and Asian pride. In addition, the learning outcomes are assessed based on WA11GAP criteria.