P2A ICE CREAM COCONUT 2026: Three-Country Collaboration Strengthens ASEAN Network
This year, the International Program Communications (IPC) at UII is collaborating with SCIMPA at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Suan Dusit University in Thailand to conduct a joint program titled P2A ICE CREAM COCONUT 2026 from August 8–17, 2026. The program’s theme, COCONUT—standing for Community, Ocean, Nature, Unity, and Technology-symbolizes the identities of the three countries: tropical, maritime, and the Southeast Asian community, representing elements of sustainability, cross-cultural unity, and creative digital innovation.
Ibnu Darmawan, Director of P2A at UII, noted that this program is a tangible manifestation of the three universities’ commitment to collaboration. “The relationship between UII, UUM, and SDU goes beyond mere visits; it signifies a strong commitment to collaboration among the three nations. We are one big family that we continue to build together,” he said.
Mohammad Amir Bin Abu Seman, a senior lecturer at SCIMPA UUM who has been part of this program for more than eight years, shared that P2A ICE CREAM has had a profound impact on his students.
“After almost eight years with P2A ICE CREAM, I have learned that its greatest impact is not simply where we take our students, but the connections they bring home. As a delegate from UUM, I am proud to be part of a program that brings ASEAN closer through friendship, creativity, and shared experiences,” he said.
Saowapan Palasuan from SDU also noted that P2A ICE CREAM serves as a space for building relationships and collaboration. “This program is like a reunion for us. We’re building new relationships while continuing existing collaborations. Moving forward, we’ll also be preparing a program at SDU,” she said.
Cross-Border Journey
P2A ICE CREAM 2026 is a journey from Yogyakarta to Malaysia and Thailand. During this nine-day trip, students from the three universities will work together on a tourism video project. Some of the destinations include Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, Kampung Warna Warni and Chinatown in Alor Setar, Emerald Cave and Koh Ngai in Trang, as well as Phatthalung and Hat Yai, Thailand.
This program is designed to provide students with firsthand experience of the cultural, natural, and historical richness of the ASEAN region.
Beyond cultural exploration, P2A ICE CREAM 2026 also features collaborative activities such as a cooking challenge, a cultural night, and a CSR beach cleanup initiative aligned with environmental sustainability values.
An Experience- and Creativity-Based Program
P2A ICE CREAM is an international mobility program-a course on creative media that employs an experience-based learning approach. Participants not only learn in the classroom but also engage with local communities to interact with and understand the local culture.
Through the theme “COCONUT,” this program emphasizes the importance of creativity, originality, togetherness, care for the ocean and nature, unity, and the use of technology in producing creative works that benefit the development of tourism and culture in ASEAN. The program also serves as a platform for students to build cross-national networks of friends that are expected to endure into the future.
