Britain tries to attract more Indonesian students
Britain tries to attract more Indonesian students
JAKARTA (JP): Representatives from British universities and
colleges were in Jakarta over the weekend in the hope of
attracting more Indonesians to study in Britain.
Because of a lack of information on British colleges and
universities, only 2,000 Indonesians are currently studying in
Britain, said Peggy Slamet of the British Council's education
counseling service.
The United States, however, claims to have nearly 12,000
Indonesians studying there while Australia is host to 6,000 or
more, Peggy said during the 1996 British Education Exhibition
last Saturday.
Singapore, New Zealand and Malaysia are other popular
destinations for Indonesian students.
"Britain has to compete with Australia, which is
geographically closer, and the United States, which entered the
Indonesian market earlier and is therefore, to a certain extent,
more popular," Peggy said.
About 52 representatives from British colleges and
universities are in town to attract prospective Indonesian
students, whose numbers continue to grow.
After Jakarta, the same exhibition will be held in Bandung and
Surabaya. Earlier in Medan, North Sumatra, the exhibition
attracted more than 600 prospective students.
"The fact that university representatives come and continue to
come every year indicates that exhibiting in Indonesia is
worthwhile," Peggy said.
However, the number of participants at the exhibitions in
Indonesia was lower than those universities that visited earlier
exhibitions in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia or
Singapore.
"The participants say the exhibition expenses in Indonesia,
especially Jakarta, are higher. They also are not familiar with
the market here," Peggy said.
She said, however, that she is convinced more foreign
universities and colleges will come and hold exhibitions here
once they are aware that more than 25,000 Indonesians are
studying abroad.
Annual tuition fees and living expenses in Britain, according
to the British Education handbook, are between 10,000
poundsterling (US$15,190) and 12,000 pounds for undergraduate
studies and between 13,000 pounds and 15,000 pounds for post-
graduate studies.
In the U.S., annual tuition fees and living expenses range
between US$8,000 to $14,000 for undergraduate studies at public
universities, and between $10,000 and $17,000 for postgraduate
studies.
"Unlike master's programs in other countries, which take up to
two years to complete, in Britain they can be completed in only
one year," Peggy said.
She said that most Indonesians studying in Britain are getting
postgraduate degrees. "In 1995, from the 1,300 Indonesians who
went to study in Britain, more than 700 took postgraduate
studies," she said. (31)