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.