MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, SURABAYA – Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya (UM Surabaya) has proudly graduated its Palestinian postgraduate student, Sondos Jehad Shnewra, who earned her degree cum laude.
At the graduation ceremony held on Saturday (25/10), Sondos shared that her experience at UM Surabaya went far beyond academics, it became a journey of belonging and connections.
“This campus is not only a place to study, but also my second home, a place where I found my family, cross-national friendship, and the living values of humanity and Islam,” she said.
Sondos came to Indonesia through a scholarship program provided by Lazismu (Muhammadiyah’s Department of Charity Management) of East Java, which paved the way for her to pursue her master’s studies in her chosen field.
She explained that her decision to study in Indonesia was fully supported by her parents who saw Indonesia as a safe country that consistently shows solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.
The past two years have not been easy for Sondos. While completing her thesis in Surabaya, her family endured the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Yet, she found strength in the prayers and support of her friends and lecturers.
“I ask for your prayers for my family who are still in Palestine. I am grateful that Allah has blessed me with kind friends who always keep me in their prayers,” she said.
Sondos expressed her deepest gratitude to UM Surabaya and Lazismu for the scholarship opportunity. For her, the assistance was not merely about education, but also a symbol of solidarity and compassion from Indonesia toward Palestine.
“The scholarship I received was not only about education, but also about hope and brotherhood among nations,” she remarked.
Looking ahead, Sondos hopes to live a peaceful and meaningful life surrounded by good people, and to make a positive mark as a Palestinian who once received great opportunities from Indonesia.
I want to bring a good name to Indonesia as a Palestinian who was given a precious opportunity by this nation,” she said. (Bintang Adrian)
