Educational links building frienship and understanding

Educational links building frienship and understanding

The link provided through education and training cooperation
is one of the human faces of the Australia-Indonesia bilateral
relationship. More than 100,000 Indonesians have studied in
Australia, and more and more Australians are choosing to study in
Indonesia.

The friendship and understanding developed through this first
hand experience of each others' countries and cultures represent
one of the bilateral relationships' most substantial assets.

To celebrate the enduring strength of our education ties with
Indonesia, the Australian Embassy will this year host "Australian
Education Week" in Jakarta in June 2002.

This week long event will include a senior education mission
to Indonesia, high-level seminars and discussions, alumni and
other networking events, as well as a two-day education
exhibition to be held on 8-9 June. Bilateral discussions are
expected to focus on strengthening education cooperation, and
will be supported by seminars on higher education research
management and quality assurance.

Australia's education relationship with Indonesia includes
active engagement between our governments. Australia is
supporting Indonesian education in areas such as curriculum
reform, vocational training and distance education delivery.

Other important activities include language study programs,
student and teacher exchanges, volunteer teaching programs, and
the delivery of Australian education to Indonesian students both
at home and in Australia.

There are around 200 formal agreements and links between
Australian and Indonesian universities, making Indonesia one of
Australia's most important educational partners. These links
include cooperation in research, scholarships, student and
academic exchanges, visiting programs and, increasingly, the
development of joint degree programs.

This year will also see the 500th Australian university
student taking up the opportunity to study for up to two
semesters in an Indonesian university under the ACICIS Indonesian
Studies program.

In 2002 some 18,000 Indonesian students will look to Australia
for undergraduate and postgraduate study, vocational training,
school education and English language courses.

Australia is the leading overseas supplier of postgraduate
qualifications to Indonesian students - and more than 21 percent
of the 3,000 postgraduate students now in Australia are receiving
scholarships from the Australian government.

Australia continues to be the most popular overseas study
destination for Indonesian students - providing high quality
education in a safe environment.

In welcoming so many Indonesians to our schools and campuses,
Australia values the rich cultural and academic contribution they
make to our education and to our broader community.

A strong interest in Indonesia as our nearest neighbor ensures
that Bahasa Indonesia is one of the most popular foreign
languages taught in Australian schools today, with more than
200,000 young Australians learning about Indonesia and its
national language.

Australia's universities rank among the world leaders in the
research and study of Indonesian language, society and culture.

Graduates from Australian universities and colleges form one
of the most active alumni groups in Indonesia. The Australian
Embassy has a strong association with IKAMA, the Australian
Alumni Association, and values this on-going link with
Indonesians who have lived and studied in Australia.