FOR FOCUS ISSUE -- OVERSEAS STUDY -- April 4<\/p>\n
Gaining easier access to better job opportunities<\/p>\n
Sudibyo M. Wiradji
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
In today's global economy, many companies tend to seek
\nprospective employees with international-standard proficiency in
\nforeign languages.<\/p>\n
And, as frequently advertised in printed media, multi-national
\ncompanies offering job vacancies often prefer graduates from
\noverseas universities rather than those who have graduated
\nlocally.<\/p>\n
In addition to qualifications, overseas university graduates
\nare perceived to have better interpersonal skills thanks to their
\nstudy environment that allows them to communicate and interact
\nwith people from different nationalities and cultures. Thus, it
\nis not exaggerating to say that overseas university graduates are
\nmore 'marketable' and have more bargaining power in the job
\nmarket.<\/p>\n
\"The public appreciate overseas university graduates more than
\ngraduates from local universities, giving them more prestige,\" a
\nnoted the rector of the Jakarta State University Connie
\nRiouwskina Semiawan Stamboel said.<\/p>\n
This might explain why many affluent Indonesian parents send
\ntheir children overseas for higher education, even though several
\nquality universities with international standards are now
\navailable in the capital.<\/p>\n
The trend of the rich sending their children abroad began in
\nIndonesia in the 1990s when overseas educational institutions
\nstarted high-profile campaigns about the benefits of overseas
\nstudy in several big cities, including Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Although the country has not yet recovered from its prolonged
\neconomic crisis, it remains an important market for overseas
\neducational institutions because many wealthy families in the
\npublic, business and political elite have not been significantly
\naffected by the downturn.<\/p>\n
Almost every year numerous overseas universities from the
\nUnites States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand
\nand Singapore exhibit their wares in Jakarta. Such events always
\nattract big audiences predominantly made up of high school
\nstudents.<\/p>\n
\"Certainly, studying at overseas university is expensive. But
\nstudying at local university with international standards is now
\nalso costly. Despite the high cost, graduates of overseas
\nuniversities have an easier access to better job opportunities at
\nmulti-national companies,\" Franky Tambunan, a prospective
\nstudent, said.<\/p>\n
Franky, a university graduate majoring in business, will take
\nhis masters degree in international marketing at the University
\nof East London. He will leave the country for London in September
\nof this year.<\/p>\n
Like Franky, Luky Triadi Annas will also study abroad due to
\nemployment considerations. Luky, who studied at a local
\nuniversity for two years, will take a diploma degree on mass
\ncommunication at the TMC Academy For Advanced Education in
\nSingapore.<\/p>\n
\"Overseas universities are equipped with superb facilities.
\nBesides studying abroad, I will become accustomed to speaking
\nEnglish. Hopefully, when I complete my studies, I will have an
\nopportunity to work not only in Indonesia but also in Singapore,\"
\nhe said. He will start his course in July of this year.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Connie said the high costs charged by local
\nuniversities, especially quality ones with an international
\nstandard curriculum, made overseas study an attractive option.<\/p>\n
\"When calculated, the amount of money spent on overseas study
\nis not that much different from that spent on study at local
\nuniversity. Therefore, many parents prefer to send their children
\nto study abroad because (with the added advantages) overseas
\nstudy is more cost-effective,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Many Indonesians, including those employed at state
\ninstitutions, universities or private companies, have the
\nopportunity to study abroad on scholarships.<\/p>\n
Fajar Hidayat, who took post-graduate study majoring in
\ninternational banking and finance at Britain's Birmingham
\nUniversity in 2002, said his study abroad had provided him with
\nvaluable additional knowledge a from high-quality education
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
\"After graduating from Birmingham University I had more
\nflexibility about what I wanted to do in the job market and I
\nfound alternatives to the standard, straight-ahead banking job,\"
\nsaid Fajar, an economics specialist at the Embassy of the United
\nStates in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Adi Dzulfuat, who works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is
\nanother ex-student who believes he has benefited from studying
\noverseas. \"Culturally, my overseas study has allowed me to
\nrecognize different behavior, ways of thinking, lifestyles and
\nappreciate the standard of living of people in developed
\ncountries. Academically, it allows me to think systematically and
\nlogically, thanks to access to an educational system supported by
\nexceptionally good facilities,\" said Adi, who took MscEcon's
\nIntelligence and Strategic Studies program in international
\npolitics at the UK's University of Wales in 2002.<\/p>\n
But many also study at an overseas university or college
\nbecause their parents' work in a foreign country. Andi
\nMartosubroto, for instance, lived in Italy for a couple of years
\nwith his father working at the United Nation's Food and
\nAgriculture Organization (FAO). During his stay in Italy, he took
\na masters degree in electrical and electronic engineering with a
\nminor in Japanese at the University of Manchester. He said the
\nquality education system had enabled him to complete a masters
\ndegree faster. \"We do not have a four-year Masters Degree model
\nin Indonesia. Here, it usually takes longer due to various
\nreasons, such as the difficulty of finding a lecturer due to
\ntheir tight schedules,\" Andi said.<\/p>\n
Above all, the study enabled him to interact with people from
\ndifferent nationalities, ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds.
\n\"This helps enhance my social and interpersonal skills in working
\nwithin a mixed group. In some ways, it has been easier for me to
\nfind a job,\" said Andi, who currently works as a consultant.<\/p>\n
Connie emphasized the positive effects of studying abroad on
\nstudents, saying overseas study could broaden students' horizons.<\/p>\n
\"Overseas study experiences are good for the personalities of
\nIndonesian students, enabling them to have wide insights into
\nscience, culture, and perhaps, technology, which will certainly
\nbenefit the quality of Indonesian human resources,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Education expert Simon Marcus Gower shared Connie's view:
\n\"Students that come back to Indonesia will have gained both
\nvaluable intellectual development from their studies as well as
\ncultural awareness.\"<\/p>\n
\"They will have been exposed to different ways of thinking and
\nproblem-solving that can be applied to Indonesian life and the
\ndevelopment of the nation,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/for-focus-issue-overseas-study-april-4-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}