Britain, RI to build university linkage
JAKARTA (JP): The British Council celebrated its 50th anniversary on Friday, unveiling a plan to develop a "collaborative campus" system in which British and Indonesian universities would be linked.
Stressing the advantages of "international education" for future students, director Neil Kemp said that the system would be similar to one already applied by six universities in Malaysia where curricula and subjects were linked to British colleges.
The program has been discussed with the Ministry of Education and Culture, Kemp said. However, "I think the ministry's primary priority now is to keep students in schools (during this) monetary crisis," he added.
Minister of Education Juwono Sudarsono acknowledged he, too, had thought about the proposed collaboration.
"I'd rather go with the joint venture idea in which 50 percent of the curriculum is still carrying Indonesia's education and cultural sovereignty," he said.
The British Council marked its anniversary by, among others, raising funds to provide books for children.
The British Council first opened a library in 1948 on Jl. Sumatra in Bandung, West Java. About two decades later, it moved to Jl. Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta. The council currently houses some 20,000 books, Internet and BBC services, over 2,000 video cassettes and an English language center.
"I recall as a young student I was member of the British Council's library and my father suggested that I polish up my English through reading editorials such as the ones in The Economist.
"It helped my English studies and I found it easier (to cope) when I went to study (in England) from 1975 to 1978," said Juwono, who obtained a Ph.D degree from the London School of Economics.
The council also marked the anniversary by donating some 12,500 book titles to various university libraries, and holding a photography exhibition featuring photographers from both England and Indonesia.
Among those present Friday were British envoy Robin Christopher, Unicef area representative for Indonesia and Malaysia Stephen J. Woodhouse and Indonesian figures Fuad Hasan, Emil Salim, Ali Sadikin and Sri Edi Swasono. (edt)