Building bridges of intercultural communication: Overcoming barriers and enhancing multicultural education in Indonesia through meaningful contact

This study aims to investigate how Papuan students studying in Surabaya – the second largest city in Indonesia – face and overcome various cultural barriers during their adaptation process in Java. The main focus of this study is how they break down stereotypes and prejudices against Javanese society, and how they adapt to local culture through meaningful social contact to be able to live their academic lives smoothly. This study uses a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and observations of 25 new Papuan students studying at five universities in Surabaya and then analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. The results of the study showed that Papuan students are able to find various effective adaptation strategies in a new environment that is different from their initial expectations. One of the keys to successful adaptation is their ability to identify and utilize meaningful contact zones, namely, social spaces where they can establish positive and in-depth interactions. Some important strategies used to find and build these contact zones include: understanding the character of the person they are talking to, avoiding communication that is too long and indirect, building an open and friendly self-image, being active in the community, and following the social and cultural developments in the city where they live.