Australia, popular among Indonesian students
By A'an Suryana
CANBERRA (JP): Heavy rain poured down in Sydney one afternoon two weeks ago.
Suharto, an Indonesian university student, took shelter in front of a supermarket after his regular shopping stint, waiting for the rain to stop.
Suddenly, five strangers approached him. One of them quickly demanded money from Suharto, who had his hands full with his shopping.
The Indonesian student turned down the forceful request.
Unhappy with Suharto's response, the strangers, who looked like locals, hit and kicked the unfortunate Suharto. Minutes later, they fled. Not a single cent had been taken, but Suharto, a son of a former senior official at the Indonesian education ministry, Hasan Walinono, suffered several minor injuries in the incident.
Such a detestable experience is rare for foreign students in Australia, which has become a popular studying destination for many Asians, including Indonesians.
Such a harsh act was not an indication of hatred against foreigners by Australians, despite growing nationalistic sentiment fueled by Pauline Hanson from the One Nation Party.
"Generally speaking, Australia is a safe place for foreigners," Aria Djalil, education and cultural attache at the Indonesian Embassy, told The Jakarta Post in Canberra on Wednesday.
"What Suharto suffered was purely an accident," he went on. "The crime rate here is low and most of the crimes do not target foreigners."
Interviewed separately, some Indonesian students currently studying at different universities here shared Aria's view.
"I have never been robbed or even harassed here. Indeed, some students once teased me when I was walking down a street. But it's common everywhere," recalled Dewi Sintawati, 23, a petite woman who is in her last year at Australian National University's (ANU) Department of Economic Commerce.
But still racial and sexual harassment remains a serious concern for many foreigners in Australia.
Graffiti that read "Deport Asian scum" found in a toilet cubicle at ANU is just one of many examples that really disturb foreign students.
In a bid to stop the crime, many big universities in Australia have pledged to take stiff measures against anyone found guilty of such acts.
"If the harasser is proven guilty, she or he will be expelled from the university," said Gilbert Hennequin, the coordinator of student services at the International Education Office (IEO) of ANU.
The efforts are of course an important element for Australia to maintain its status as a favorite place to study for many Asian youngsters.
For four consecutive years until 1997, Indonesian students were the second largest among foreign students studying in Australia. From 1998 to 1999, Indonesian students were on top of the list followed by Singaporeans and Hong Kongers.
Last year alone, the number of Indonesian students reached 17,626, mostly taking graduate, postgraduate, undergraduate and vocational courses or attending high school, according to data from the Indonesian Embassy here.
The number is relatively low compared to the 18,748 students registered the previous year. The figure was 17,462 in 1998, 18,180 in 1997 and 16,654 in 1996.
Most Indonesian students in Australia are self-funded. About 3 percent of the total number obtained a scholarship from AusAid.
According to data available, Australia is the second most attractive place to study for Indonesian students, after the United States.
In 1999, Aria said, 8,185 Indonesian nationals came to this country to pursue a higher education (postgraduate and undergraduate).
"While at the same time, 12,142 Indonesians studied in the U.S.," he explained.
But many believe that Australia will soon grab first place for several reasons, particularly due to proximity, cost and weather.
"Australia is located so close to our country, it has sound quality education, the cost of living and tuition fees here are quite competitive compared to other countries, like the States or the UK, and much more its mother tongue is English," said Aria.
Australia is home to several world-class universities, such as ANU, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Melbourne.
Doddy Cendekia Patrakusuma, 20, said he picked Australia due to its high-class education facilities.
"ANU has a good school of computer science, which has earned an international reputation," said Doddy, who is now pursuing an undergraduate degree at the Faculty of Information and Technology and Engineering in the Department of Computer Science of ANU.
On average, the annual living cost in Australia is between A$23,000 (Rp 138 million) and $26,000.
"It varies, but usually the cost of living in big cities is higher that in smaller cities," said Aria.
Harry Suhartono, 23, a postgraduate economics student at ANU agreed with Aria.
"In Melbourne, a student must spend some A$480 per month for campus accommodation, while here in Canberra, the cost reaches around A$300.
"In terms of meals, there is almost no difference. A student can enjoy a meal for A$5 (Rp 30,000)," said Harry, who is studying for his undergraduate degree in economics at Melbourne University.
Tuition fees for undergraduates vary from A$8,000 to A$14,000, while for postgraduates they range from A$16,000 to A$22,000, depending on the schools.
Humanities, including business and economics, usually cost less than medical or technical schools.
Business and administration is the most favorite department, followed by science and other subjects.
"Business and administration offers a bright career because job opportunities for this department are always high," said Dewi.
Most Indonesian students prefer to study at universities in big cities like Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide based on word-of-mouth promotion.
The University of New South Wales in Sydney, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Curtin University of Technology in Perth are among the universities that receive the largest number of Indonesian students.
"Most of our students here are used to living in big cities in Indonesia," said Aria.
According to Harry, living in a small city like Canberra is boring, compared to his days in Melbourne.
"There are less activities here (in Canberra). But I must stay here since I was accepted by ANU," he said.
But, Doddy added quickly, Canberra is the best place for him and many other foreign students to study thanks to its quiet and tranquil surroundings.
"Canberra is much like Yogyakarta," said Doddy, an alumni of a Yogyakarta-based Islamic senior high school.
Many students, including those from well-to-do families, also work part-time for several reasons.
"I am considering taking part-time work to get work experience here, but not now, since my schedule remains tight at present," said Doddy, whose father works for Unocal oil company in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.
Harry disclosed that he had never considered a part-time job as he was financially sound. He said he was worried that he would not be able to manage his time well if he worked.
"I feel lucky since my parents give me sufficient money here, therefore I can focus on my studies. Some of my friends in Melbourne took part-time jobs due to financial constraints," said Harry.
The students said studying in Australia provided them with many benefits, including a better understanding of being a real university student.
"In Indonesia, we are much guided by our lecturers. But here we should be self-sufficient and disciplined. We are also encouraged here to develop freedom of thinking, while in Indonesia, lecturers are considered sacred and are hard to challenge," Harry said.
Indonesian students have a good reputation in Australia. They are not excessive in spending money, they rarely create problems and are law abiding.
"However, language still impedes Indonesian students here either in pursuing a degree or getting along with Australians. Therefore, before coming to Australia, they should prepare well for the English first," said ANU's Hennequin.
He encouraged Indonesian students to get along with Australians after their arrival here.
"Indonesians are very friendly, but they are apparently more comfortable with other Indonesians. Perhaps the language barrier is one factor. However, they should make Australian friends here to help them understand English and the culture here.
"It's your opportunity to know Australia better. You can get many Indonesian friends in your home country after your studies are finished here," he said.