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Twin degrees - perfect combination for students

Rudijanto Contributor/Jakarta

The partnerships between Indonesian and overseas universities in providing more international curricula and offering double degree programs in many ways constitute a blessing for many students here.

Obtaining two degrees simultaneously, one from an established foreign university and another from an Indonesian one, seems to be the perfect combination for some Indonesians, who will willingly pay whatever it takes.

While the tuition fees are much higher for double degree courses, compared to the cost of studying overseas one would have to agree that enrolling in a double degree program here will be far more economical.

In addition, pursuing double degrees in Indonesia means that the students do not have to give up their current jobs. This is possible because most of the lectures are held after office hours.

Though some students seek double degrees purely for prestige reasons, the rest have more practical reasons. The Indonesian degree enables them to apply for certain jobs here that need the relevant qualifications, or in certain cases accreditation by the Indonesian education department. The foreign degree helps them fulfill the prerequisites for working abroad or in major multinational companies both here and in other countries.

The dream of obtaining a double degree is nowadays easier to realize as a number of universities here have started to provide the necessary programs. For instance, the Jakarta-based Universitas Tarumanagara (Untar) has commenced a dual-degree program in partnership with the University of Western Australia (UWA).

The lectures in English are given by lecturers from UWA's Graduate School of Management (GSM) and from Untar. Graduates of this dual-degree program can obtain Master of Management (MM) degree from Untar and an MBA degree from UWA's Graduate School of Management (GSM).

Another large university in Jakarta, Trisakti, also offers a similar program called its "MM-MBA Twinning Program", which it offers in partnership with the University of Technology, Sydney. After completing this 22-month program, which is conducted after working hours, students can earn both an MM and MBA degrees.

For those who are interested in the continental European educational system, the Swiss German University (SGU) offers it to students right here. Located in Tangerang, Banten province, the SGU adheres to Swiss and German educational quality standards. The SGU has also started a PhD program.

Partnerships between domestic and foreign universities are a relatively new phenomenon in Indonesia. Applying one of the most basic economic principles, that of supply and demand, the mushrooming of such partnerships indicates the existence of a large demand here.

However, the disturbing question is why some Indonesians crave foreign education and thereby chase double degrees? Why can't their needs be satisfied with the existing Indonesian education system and curriculum?

A former dean of Atmajaya University in Jakarta, who is also a professor at the University of Indonesia (UI), Harimurti Kridalaksana, believes that the pursuit of foreign degrees suggests that many Indonesians lack self-confidence.

"We lack confidence in our own education system, even though many Indonesian graduates have been successful. Some even teach in foreign countries. Our system, in my opinion, is already good, but the problem is that there are certain factors that reduce the students' confidence in our universities," said Harimurti.

He said that besides the economic factor, the world was becoming more materialistic. To attract qualified people to any profession, even as teaching staff, Harimurti is of the opinion that faculty members must be paid good salaries.

"Universities need people who are concerned and idealistic about education. We already have a number of such people teaching in our universities. Those who are willing to teach for less pay, I mean. But getting more lecturers and so forth will, in realistic terms, mean we will have to pay them well," he said.

It is a widely known albeit a sad fact that lecturers' salaries, particularly in state universities here, are among the lowest in the world. As a result, many lecturers have to earn extra money by doing side jobs such as serving as consultants elsewhere.

Education expert Mochtar Buchori believes that there are various shortcomings affecting Indonesian university curricula. He said that a curriculum is actually a blue print that reflects the kind of graduates that will be produced by an educational institution.

"Our curricula do not clearly the direction in which students will be led. We are lagging behind foreign universities in many aspects, for instance, in imparting skills and professional ethics to our students. As a result, we have legal experts who violate instead of implement the law," he said.

Given such conditions in the country's institutes of higher education, it is not surprising that many students are more than willing to enroll in those local schools and universities that offer foreign-based curricula and degrees.

Another disturbing question that arises is whether the partnership programs between local and overseas universities will be able to produce good graduates. The curricula applied by major overseas universities such as Monash and Harvard are unarguably first rate, but the question remains whether they are applicable or teachable in Indonesia.

Education expert Mariana Setiadarma questions how far local lecturers can apply the curricula correctly and whether the programs are applicable in the Indonesian context. Her remarks seem relevant as most of the universities that apply overseas programs also employ local lecturers.

"I hear that less than 20 percent of the local lecturers are qualified," commented Mariana, who is currently the chairperson of the Laurensia Foundation. Previously, she was the dean of Atmajaya University and the chairperson of the Kalbe Economics Polytechnic Foundation (Yayasan Sekolah Tinggi Ekonomi Kalbe).

Harimurti also questioned the suitability of such curricula in Indonesia. He revealed that some companies expressly said they preferred the graduates of local universities to those graduating from Jakarta-based international schools.

"Their curricula is actually not always better than ours. Besides, such curricula are only suitable in the countries where they were developed. I doubt if they will be suitable here," said Harimurti.

Clearly, the experts are unable as yet to measure the success of such partnerships -- the twin or double-degree programs -- as the success of their graduates will only become apparent in the years to come. The existence of such programs, however, has widened the gap between the haves and the have-nots in this country.

While admitting that good education does not come free here, Mochtar is worried about the potential repercussions of this widening gap. "A good education must be accessible to everyone, including those who can't afford it. But today's harsh reality is that there are two kinds of education that are extremely different. One for the rich and the other for the poor," he lamented.

If this gap keeps widening, ultimately the image of schools and universities alike -- in fact, centers of learning generally -- will be damaged. It seems that education is being commercialized to such an extent that only the rich can now enjoy it and will one day be the only ones to reap its rewards. For others, education will become an unattainable luxury.

When the most important criteria for admission is how thick one's wallet is rather than his or her qualifications, then the quality of graduates will also be questionable. If this trend continues, universities here may simply turn into lucrative businesses.

"We have to be very careful about the impending dangers of commercialization. We have to start thinking about how qualified people, who may be "unqualified economically", can also enjoy a good education in this country. It is time to seriously think about improving our own education system and other related issues so that we can provide a good education for all," said Harimurti.

One of the hurdles that must be crossed before this goal can be achieved is the need to increase the country's budget allocation for education. Unfortunately, it is among the lowest in the world.

According to The Center for the Betterment of Education (CBE), Indonesia's education budget in 2004 amounts to only one percent of the country's GDP. The CBE reveals that the education budget in most advanced countries often reaches between 4.5 percent and 7 percent of their GDPs, while in a number of developing countries, the budget ranges between 2.5 percent and 7.5 percent of their total GDPs.

Obviously, one way of competing with other countries is to improve the country's entire education system and facilities, and other relevant aspects. All this will mean a huge expenditure. But this will be money well spent and well invested for the future of the nation. The last hurdle that remains is political willingness. It is high time that this became apparent as, after all, the country's future is at stake.