Most students spend their winter break at home. A few travel. Almost nobody comes back from December with new credits on their transcript, a surfboard story, and a tan. That is what the Bali Beyond Borders winter program is for.
Nine days. Undiknas University, Bali’s number one institution. Five ECTS or three US credits. No exams. And Bali outside the classroom window.
Why this program exists
Winter break is long enough to do something real, but most students do not. BBB was built for that gap. It fits inside your break, earns you actual academic credit, and does it in Bali.
The academic side covers Southeast Asian business, culture, sustainability, and the ASEAN economic landscape. You study at Undiknas University, attend company visits, work in groups, and finish with a capstone project: building a real business strategy for an Indonesian SME looking to expand across ASEAN. It is the kind of work you can actually talk about in an interview.
What the nine days actually look like
Day 1: Arrive in Bali. Check in. Optional evening at Canggu Beach Club to meet the group. No agenda. Just get there.
Day 2: Orientation and your first university session: Introduction to Balinese Culture and History. Then the group project kicks off — Building a Business Strategy for SMEs in the ASEAN Market.
Day 3: Three classes: Introduction to Bahasa Indonesia, Doing Business in ASEAN, and the Social and Economic Impacts of Tourism in Indonesia and Bali.
Day 4: Classes on Go-to-Market Strategies and Innovation in ASEAN, then a company visit to Krisna Oleh-Oleh. Optional evening: Uluwatu Temple and the Kecak Dance at sunset.
Day 5: Recruitment and HR in ASEAN, then a company visit to a hotel to see how those strategies play out in the hospitality industry. Afternoon free for project work.
Day 6: Political Dynamics of Indonesia, Sustainable Tourism, and a structured academic case discussion with the group.
Day 7: Environmental Sustainability and Business in ASEAN, then a company visit to Bali Pulina. Optional: Tegalalang Rice Terraces in the afternoon.
Day 8: Final academic synthesis and group project presentations to a panel of experts. Optional: a rare cultural experience with Ubud-Ubud/Ketut Liyer. Farewell dinner at Bale Udang Mang Engking Ubud.
Day 9: Free morning. Check out. Departure.
The credits: how it works
You earn 5 ECTS or 3 US credits from Undiknas University. No written exams. Your grade comes from participation, your group project, and a final presentation to an expert panel.
To get those credits recognized at home, you need a Learning Agreement signed before you leave. Asia Exchange handles the admin. Just make sure you have that conversation with your home university before the application deadline, not the week before you fly.
Worth knowing: international credits in ASEAN business and sustainability from a Balinese university look genuinely distinctive on a transcript. It is a simple way to show a recruiter you did not spend December on the couch.
The part that is not in a classroom
Between sessions, the program builds in surf lessons on the beach, a visit to a turtle conservation centre to watch hatchlings reach the sea, yoga in a traditional Balinese setting, and an optional Kecak Dance at Uluwatu Temple at sunset. These are not extras. They are part of what makes BBB different from sitting in a library for nine days.
The company visits work the same way. Going inside Krisna Oleh-Oleh, one of Bali’s most well-known retail businesses, is not the same as buying a souvenir there. Visiting a hotel to see how ASEAN HR strategy actually works in the hospitality industry is access most students simply do not get. You come back with a CV line that has a real story behind it.
What students who have done it say
“I participated in Bali Beyond Borders 2024 and had the time of my life. The balance between lectures and free time was perfect, and the company visits were very interesting. I gained a deeper understanding of the culture and discovered that Balinese people are incredibly warm and welcoming. This program is definitely in my top 10 experiences, and I would highly recommend Asia Exchange to anyone considering exchange studies.”
Olivia · Finland · BBB 2024
“This program is awesome and wonderful would be an understatement. I have made amazing friends and seen a lot of beautiful places in Bali, learned of new religions and cultures.”
Phyllis · United States
Who can apply
Open to anyone 18 or over with a high school diploma. No English test required. Gap year students can apply too, not just current university students. Visa on arrival means no consulate, no waiting. You pay for it at the airport when you land in Bali.
Application deadline: 22 November 2026. Once your documents are in, you hear back within one to seven days.
Flexible booking: you can apply even if your plans are not fully confirmed. Cancel at no extra cost up to one month before the program starts. The application fee is non-refundable, but everything else is.
Your peers are spending winter break at home. You could be spending it at Undiknas University, earning credits, watching turtles hatch, and presenting a business strategy to a panel of experts in Bali. The deadline is 22 November.
Ready to apply for Bali Beyond Borders? Spots are limited and the deadline is 22 November 2026.
The post Bali Beyond Borders: earn credits over your winter break appeared first on Asia Exchange.
Article source: https://asiaexchange.org/blogs/bali-beyond-borders-winter-program-study-credits/