Will foreign universities be beneficial for us?<\/p>\n
By Mochtar Buchori<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Will the presence of foreign universities in
\nIndonesia stimulate or obstruct the growth of our own
\nuniversities, especially the private ones?<\/p>\n
Many reporters have asked me this question. My reply has been
\nthat it depends on how we are going to react to these foreign
\nuniversities. If we react in the right way, I think we will be
\nable to benefit from their presence. But if we react in the wrong
\nway, what is likely to emerge is a strained relationship that, in
\nthe end, may be harmful to our institutions of higher education.<\/p>\n
What constitutes \"right reaction\" or \"wrong reaction\" in this
\ncase?<\/p>\n
In my view, ultimately it is a matter of how we perceive these
\nforeign universities. Do we perceive them primarily as potential
\npredators of our own universities, or do we perceive them as
\n\"institutional colleagues\" from which we can learn something new?
\nThis perception is, in turn, a consequence of the way we perceive
\nour own institutions of higher learning.<\/p>\n
If we think that our universities are the best in the world,
\nand that they must retain their traditional characteristics no
\nmatter what happens around us, then we will certainly perceive
\nthese foreign universities as a potential threat to our beloved
\nuniversities.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, if we see ourselves as a young country in
\nthe pursuit of academic relevance and excellence, then we
\nprobably will look upon these foreign universities as possible
\npartners in our collective efforts to build a bastion for
\ndefending the truth, expanding human knowledge and wisdom, and
\nempowering humankind to defend itself against any attempt to
\nenslave it. This is, after all, the common mission of
\nuniversities.<\/p>\n
Before we go any further, there is one question that is
\nimportant to explore: Which foreign universities are likely going
\nto come and operate in Indonesia?<\/p>\n
I think they will be primarily private universities from
\nEnglish-speaking countries in the \"West\": Australia, North
\nAmerica (especially the United States), the United Kingdom,
\nperhaps the Netherlands, and probably Germany. French and
\nJapanese universities will, in my opinion, not come and open
\nbranches in Indonesia for the time being. They will wait until
\nthe interest of the Indonesian public in French and Japanese
\ncultures and science and technology become equally as strong as
\nour interest in the American, British, and Australian ones.<\/p>\n
I also think that private universities from Scandinavian
\ncountries like Sweden, there are a number of excellent
\nuniversities over there, Central Europe and East Europe, like the
\nCzech Republic (the University of Prague used to be one of the
\nbest universities in Europe), will at the moment not be
\ninterested in opening branches in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
What does this mean? It means that foreign universities which
\nwill come into Indonesia are likely to be institutions of higher
\neducation with Anglo-Saxon traditions. This will create some
\nproblems which will have to be solved wisely, because most
\nIndonesian universities are basically still anchored in the old
\nDutch tradition.<\/p>\n
The encounter between Indonesian universities and these
\nincoming foreign universities will be marked by a number of
\nmutual incomprehensions. Many Indonesian universities will not
\ncomprehend why these foreign universities are structured
\ndifferently and operate in manners that are different from ours.<\/p>\n
Incoming foreign universities, on the other hand, will not
\nunderstand why our way of operating our institutions for higher
\nlearning is so different from theirs. The problem of
\nincomprehension will be less acute for Indonesian universities in
\nwhich a relatively large number of faculty members have
\nsuccessfully completed advanced studies abroad.<\/p>\n
On the side of foreign universities, institutions with
\nextensive experiences in cooperating with universities in
\ndeveloping countries will also be less hindered by this problem.<\/p>\n
One point of mutual incomprehension will be the question of
\nwhen to start specialized studies in college: Should the study of
\nmedicine, for instance, begin from the first year of college, or
\nshould college students receive a broad general education during
\nthe first two years to strengthen their general academic
\ncompetence?<\/p>\n
Another point is curriculum. Should universities design a
\nuniform curriculum for each school of specialization? Or should
\nthe curriculum be tailored according to the needs of smaller
\ngroups of students or even for individual students, in which case
\nthe university's task is to design alternative courses for every
\nfield of study and publish a prospectus listing courses which
\nwill be offered?<\/p>\n
In this connection, the stipulation that foreign universities
\nmust carry out the national curriculum in their operation will
\nbecome very problematical. These foreign universities are
\nbasically global oriented, and as such, they will emphasize the
\nteaching of knowledge, skills and values that are relevant to the
\nglobal situation. Consequently the \"national curriculum\" will be
\ntreated as a part of this \"international or global curriculum\".
\nWill this be acceptable to the Indonesian educational
\nbureaucracy?<\/p>\n
Will these foreign universities make our private universities
\nless attractive, and will our private universities, therefore,
\nbecome deserted? I think this is an unfounded fear.<\/p>\n
My guess is that these foreign universities will not be
\ncheaper than our good private universities and that they will
\napply a strict academic admission test to select their students.
\nI do not think that \"diploma mill\" type universities will be
\nallowed to enter here.<\/p>\n
There are many other minor problems that will have to be
\nsolved wisely if the presence of these foreign universities is to
\nhelp us strengthen our system of higher education. What we should
\nnot forget in this instance is that once these foreign
\nuniversities start operating in Indonesian society, they become
\npart of our system of higher education.<\/p>\n
To a large extent, it is up to us whether these foreign
\nuniversities will, in time, become \"new blood\" in our system,
\nrejuvenating, enriching and strengthening the system we have had
\nthus far, or whether they will remain \"foreign\" in our system.<\/p>\n
I think the best attitude we can adopt in this case is to be
\nopen-minded and constantly vigilant.<\/p>\n
The writer is an observer of social and cultural affairs.<\/p>\n
Window: Many Indonesian universities will not comprehend why these
\nforeign universities are structured differently and operate in
\nmanners that are different from ours.<\/p>",
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