Britain, RI to build university linkage
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)