(Appreciation post on @unpadfib instagram)
Hilman Fauzia Khoeruman, M.Phil., or more commonly known as Pak Hilman, is a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, who recently completed the 2026 InteRussia Research Fellowship program at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow, Russia. This prestigious program brought together global experts and educators from 16 countries, including Algeria, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Hilman’s participation not only brought honor to the university on the global level but also resulted in concrete contributions to academic development in Indonesia.
The selection process for the InteRussia program was quite long, beginning in February until the announcement of selected candidates in April 2026. Hilman successfully made the cut after passing several selection stages, from submitting a research proposal to an interview with representatives from the Pushkin Institute. The interview aimed to assess the applicant’s teaching experience, scholarly publications, and tangible contributions to the advancement of Russian Studies.
Researching Speaking Difficulties in Russian Literature Students
Hilman’s research focuses on improving Russian language proficiency, especially in conversation and listening, by increasing engagement with native speakers. This topic stems from a real concern faced by Russian Literature students in Indonesia, where they generally hold excellent grammatical and theoretical understanding but still encounter challenges or gaps when speaking directly with native speakers. Through a special pilot class called “Tele-audio-rovanje,” Hilman proposed a research that examines the effectiveness of native speaker involvement in accelerating students’ speaking adaptation skills.
Masterclasses and Cultural Excursions as Daily Activities
During his stay in Moscow since mid-May 2026, Hilman has maintained a very busy daily schedule from Monday through Saturday. His main activities are divided into three categories: daily classes or masterclasses with expert faculty from the Pushkin Institute on teaching methods and the latest research trends, collaborative work on a joint research project, as well as weekly cultural excursions. He claimed that the visit to sites of great literary and historical significance, such as the homes of literary giants Leo Tolstoy and Aleksandr Pushkin, the Language Institute, the Kremlin, and a center for traditional Russian plate craftsmanship are deeply memorable experiences for Pak Hilman.
The success of this program has had a significant positive impact. In addition to expanding his global network, Pak Hilman also successfully initiated and signed an official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Universitas Padjadjaran and the Pushkin Institute in Moscow, in order to opening broader access to Russian language learning materials that can later be made available to his Russian Literature students.
At the end of the interview, Pak Hilman shared a strong message and words of encouragement for other researchers and the entire academic community in Indonesia.
“In my opinion, for those who are eligible to apply, please do so. Just prove that you have been contributing in your respective fields in Indonesia, whether in an academic or practical context.”
As a former delegate, Pak Hilman also openly expressed his willingness to discuss, share experiences, and provide assistance to colleagues or other researchers interested in participating in similar programs in the future, in support of SDG 4 on quality education.
