International university finds local market<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
What do people seek from an overseas education?
\nThe fact that a large number of Indonesian students are
\nseeking higher education abroad encouraged several professionals
\nto bring quality education closer to Indonesians by establishing
\nthe Swiss German University (SGU).<\/p>\n
The efforts are paying off. Last Saturday, 58 students
\ngraduated with a double bachelor degree, and 31 others with
\nmaster's degree from SGU.<\/p>\n
\"Part of the reason I chose this school is its international
\nstandard of education. It means that I do not have to fly far
\nfrom home,\" said one of SGU's top graduates, Athalia Sugiarto.<\/p>\n
Several other parents stated similar reasons for sending their
\nchildren to the university, despite the fact that they have to
\nset aside Rp 22 million every semester and Rp 11 million during
\nthe students' internship.<\/p>\n
An engineering degree course in Germany would probably cost
\nthem an average of US$3,000 per semester.<\/p>\n
Located in the industrial German Center of Bumi Serpong Damai
\n(BSD) estate, SGU reported an increasing yearly intake after it
\nwas established in 2000 as a joint effort between Germany,
\nAustria, Switzerland and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"We started with only 30 students, but this year alone we
\naccepted 274 new ones,\" said SGU Vice Rector Ketut Tejawibawa,
\nadding that last year there were 220 new students entering the
\nuniversity.<\/p>\n
This year, at its fourth graduation ceremony, 58 students
\nearned a double bachelor degree and 31 others master's degree
\nfrom SGU's four faculties -- engineering, information technology,
\nbusiness administration and life sciences.<\/p>\n
SGU Rector Peter Pscheid, who is also a former rector at the
\nInstitute of Technology St Gallen in Switzerland, explained that
\ndespite its international name, the university tried to hire
\nIndonesian lecturers as well as several expatriates.<\/p>\n
\"We feel that Indonesians who have a degree from Germany or
\nother European countries have proven their intellectual agility
\nby taking heavy courses in engineering while adapting to a new
\nenvironment and learning the language,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Initially setting an image of an engineering school -- a field
\nin which Germany excels -- nowadays SGU finds more students
\ninterested in its business administration program as 60 percent
\nof them are taking the course, explained Ketut.<\/p>\n
\"Engineering is heavy work and is limited only to high school
\ngraduates who major in science. We want to open ourselves to both
\nscience and social studies students,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Most of the students graduated from several exclusive private
\nhigh schools, such as Jakarta's Santa Ursula, Pangudi Luhur, Al
\nAzhar and Lab Schools.<\/p>\n
With an enrollment requirement of a minimum of 4.25 score on
\nfinal examinations and a reasonable standard of English, SGU
\ngraduates were able to find jobs from between one and six months
\nafter graduation.<\/p>\n
\"We learn a lot about the work culture during our internship,
\nespecially the one I had in Germany,\" said Athalia.<\/p>\n
She explained that professionalism was really highlighted in
\nthe company she worked for during her internship.<\/p>\n
Besides everything else that it offers, a close network with
\nmanufacturing industries ready to absorb its graduates is
\nprobably its best asset.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/international-university-finds-local-market-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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