United States And Indonesia Strengthen Ties To Increase Indonesians’ Access To Quality Education

Swiny Andina
sandina@usaid.gov

JAKARTA – Today, the United States Government, Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (MoECRT) and the National Endowment Fund (LPDP) hosted the Higher Education Forum—Connect and Collaborate. The forum was organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s TEMAN LPDP and Higher Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI) programs, two five-year initiatives, each over $10 million, in support of Indonesia’s priority of increasing access to quality education.

The forum united higher education experts and leaders from 12 U.S. universities including the University of California at Davis, Northeastern University and Arizona State University.  It also brought together U.S. Embassy EducationUSA representatives with Indonesian higher education stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, the Educational Management Fund Association (LPDP), the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and more than 50 Indonesian universities.  Participants discussed potential collaboration in the areas of curriculum development, degree and non-degree programs, research collaboration, and student/faculty exchange programs.

“Equipped with a solid education, Indonesian youth will be able to gain the skills they need to address some of the toughest development challenges the world is facing today. USAID is proud to strengthen our ties with Indonesia to increase access to quality education in the United States, home of some of the best universities and higher education institutions in the world,” said Laura Gonzales, acting Mission Director of USAID Indonesia.

Forum participants discussed ideas to address the challenges faced by Indonesians, especially those located far from urban centers, in accessing information about U.S. university programs and admission processes.  Participants also discussed potential ideas from U.S. universities and collaboration opportunities to help the Indonesian government achieve its scholarship targets for students in degree programs and for short-term technical training.

“Higher education institutions in Indonesia are encouraged to form collaborations with international partners. MoECRT has launched five policies to foster collaboration between Indonesian universities and higher education institutions from other countries: matching funds for Research and Academic Partnerships, visiting scholars program, fully accredited (one semester) programs outside campus, such as the Indonesia International Student Mobility Award (IISMA), undergraduate and graduate scholarships, and setting up presence in Indonesia,” said Ir. Suharti, the Secretary General of Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology.

The United States is home to nearly 4,000 accredited higher education institutions with a proven track record of producing the world’s brightest graduates. Providing more Indonesians with opportunities to access these quality higher education institutions in the United States will improve the quality of Indonesia’s future workforce, in turn supporting Indonesia to achieve sustained economic growth and development goals.

For more information, visit https://www.usaid.gov/indonesia(link is external) or contact USAID Communications Specialist Swiny Andina at +62 (21) 5083-1000 or sandina@usaid.gov.