2.1.

Statement of the problem

The problem that we have identified is the USIM's students cannot
travel abroad because of the pandemic COVID-19. We concerned
about this issue because as a student we understand the difficulty of
procedure to go abroad by GISO programme and some of the usim
students only have a chance to go abroad by joining GISO. Besides,
some students think that they cannot learn about foreign culture
without going there. These are the problems that we discovered.

Gender

43%

57%

Male Female

Diagram 1: Gender of respondents

According to that, we conducted a survey to gauge the students’

responses on how to learn foreign culture without going there with this
survey. A total from 100 students from nine faculties responded in the
survey questions, 57% of them are female students and 43% of male
students answered the survey.
4. The impact of the USIM’s students cannot travel abroad and learn about
foreign culture because of COVID-19 pandemic.

Due the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
(USIM) has annulled its internationalisation programme to abroad[ CITATION Iqm20 \l
1033 ]. It has given the impact to USIM’s students that had been prepared their
mental and physical to travel abroad. From the survey we identified three impact of
USIM’s students cannot travel abroad and learn about foreign culture because of
COVID-19 pandemic.

4.1 USIM’s students can lower the risk of getting affected by COVID-
19.

Travel expands the opportunity of getting and spreading COVID-19.

Remaining at home is simply the most ideal approach to shield from
COVID-19 [ CITATION USD20 \l 1033 ]. It is because if USIM’s students
insist to travel abroad, they will expose to the virus and spread COVID-
19 to other people including their family, friends, and community for 14
days after they were visible to the virus. According to Dr. Michael Ben-
Aderet in article “Is It Safe to Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic?”
states that whatever point of travel, people risk of experiencing new
infection and right since hazard is elevated since there is dynamic
transmission of COVID-19 in each state, just as most nations. In
addition, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin declared on
Monday night (March 16) measures to restrict movement nationwide,
beginning from March 18 until 31, in an offer to stem the rising number
of coronavirus cases [ CITATION Haz20 \l 1033 ]. Starting on June 10, 2020
until August 31, 2020, malaysians need to follow Recovery Movement
Control Order (RMCO) to breakdown the COVID-19 chain. The
effectiveness of Movement Control Order (MCO) shown the numbers
of new and active COVID-19 cases downtrends from mid-April [ CITATION
Tan20 \l 1033 ].
 This gives a positive impact to USIM’s students eventhough they
cannot proceed their Global Islamic Students Outreach (GISO)
programme but they can prevent themselves from COVID-19.

4.2 USIM’s students cannot go on holiday abroad with friends.

This Global Islamic Students Outreach (GISO) programme also gives

opportunity to USIM’s students to go on holiday with their friends while
doing volunteerism and knowledge sharing with the communities in the
countries they visit. GISO programme giving a very sweet experience
and memory to each participant during the travel of programme.

Since GISO is cancelled, I will not be be able to …

24%
28%

48%

Practise my language and communication skills

Go on a holiday abroad with my friends
Learn foreign culture from the international students here in USIM

Diagram 2: The impact of the USIM’s students cannot travel abroad

and learn about foreign culture because of COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on the diagram 2, it proves that most of the students cannot

travel abroad with their friends. 48% from respondents claimed that
they will not be able go on a holiday abroad with their friends while
28% of the students not be able to learn foreign culture from the
international students here in USIM. It can be inferred that not all of
 USIM’s students have a good financial and come from affordable family
to travel abroad. In addition, we were a bit surprised just because only
24% of the students not be able practice their language and
communication skill. From all above of results, we inferred that not all
of USIM’s students have a good financial and come from rich family
background.

Furthermore, students with unstable financial felt frustrated since GISO

is cancelled because that is their only chance to travel abroad with their
friends. Moreover, USIM’s students want to create beautiful and sweet
moments with their friends during university life. Hence, it shows that
internationalisation programme to abroad very means so much to
USIM’s students and give a huge impact to them.

4.3 USIM’s students not exposed to foreign culture.

Learn foreign culture is a one of objectives GISO programme. Since

GISO is cancelled because the COVID-19 outbreak, USIM’s students
not have a chance to feel the environment of foreign countries.
"Culture" refers to a gathering or community which shares normal
encounters that shape the manner in which its individuals comprehend
the world. It incorporates bunches that we are naturally introduced to,
for example, race, national source, sex, class, or religion. It can
likewise incorporate a gathering we join or become some portion of
[ CITATION KUC20 \l 17417 ] . When USIM’s students travel abroad under
GISO programme, they will learn different culture and exchange
Malaysian culture with foreigner. Cultural difference includes an
interconnected and preserved set of socially acquired values, beliefs
and rules of conduct that influence the spectrum of recognized
behaviors that can be differentiated between societies [ CITATION Gol11 \l
17417 ].
Even though USIM’s students can learn foreign culture by watching
video of foreign culture on YouTube, still it not same as learn foreign
culture at abroad as real. The experience and exposure of foreign
culture such as language, beliefs, values, rituals, clothing, food and
education that USIM’s students will get when they travel abroad under
GISO programme. It is very important to expose of foreign culture
because students will meet a diverse range of people, discover new
and exciting foods and more than that. To sum up, USIM’s students not
able to experience and learn foreign culture in their life.
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Goldstein, S. N. (2011). Cultural Difference. In A. Jackson, & N. Guerra, Encyclopedia of Child

Behavior and Development (p. 41). California: Springer, Boston, MA.

Hazlin, H. (2020, March 16). Malaysia bans travel abroad, shuts schools and businesses over
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Iqmal, R. (2020, January 29). USIM cancels internationalisation programme to China. Retrieved from
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KU Center for Community Health and Development. (2020). Section 1. Understanding Culture and
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