Australia, popular among Indonesian students

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.