FOR FOCUS ISSUE -- OVERSEAS STUDY -- April 4

FOR FOCUS ISSUE -- OVERSEAS STUDY -- April 4

Gaining easier access to better job opportunities

Sudibyo M. Wiradji
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

In today's global economy, many companies tend to seek
prospective employees with international-standard proficiency in
foreign languages.

And, as frequently advertised in printed media, multi-national
companies offering job vacancies often prefer graduates from
overseas universities rather than those who have graduated
locally.

In addition to qualifications, overseas university graduates
are perceived to have better interpersonal skills thanks to their
study environment that allows them to communicate and interact
with people from different nationalities and cultures. Thus, it
is not exaggerating to say that overseas university graduates are
more 'marketable' and have more bargaining power in the job
market.

"The public appreciate overseas university graduates more than
graduates from local universities, giving them more prestige," a
noted the rector of the Jakarta State University Connie
Riouwskina Semiawan Stamboel said.

This might explain why many affluent Indonesian parents send
their children overseas for higher education, even though several
quality universities with international standards are now
available in the capital.

The trend of the rich sending their children abroad began in
Indonesia in the 1990s when overseas educational institutions
started high-profile campaigns about the benefits of overseas
study in several big cities, including Jakarta.

Although the country has not yet recovered from its prolonged
economic crisis, it remains an important market for overseas
educational institutions because many wealthy families in the
public, business and political elite have not been significantly
affected by the downturn.

Almost every year numerous overseas universities from the
Unites States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand
and Singapore exhibit their wares in Jakarta. Such events always
attract big audiences predominantly made up of high school
students.

"Certainly, studying at overseas university is expensive. But
studying at local university with international standards is now
also costly. Despite the high cost, graduates of overseas
universities have an easier access to better job opportunities at
multi-national companies," Franky Tambunan, a prospective
student, said.

Franky, a university graduate majoring in business, will take
his masters degree in international marketing at the University
of East London. He will leave the country for London in September
of this year.

Like Franky, Luky Triadi Annas will also study abroad due to
employment considerations. Luky, who studied at a local
university for two years, will take a diploma degree on mass
communication at the TMC Academy For Advanced Education in
Singapore.

"Overseas universities are equipped with superb facilities.
Besides studying abroad, I will become accustomed to speaking
English. Hopefully, when I complete my studies, I will have an
opportunity to work not only in Indonesia but also in Singapore,"
he said. He will start his course in July of this year.

Meanwhile, Connie said the high costs charged by local
universities, especially quality ones with an international
standard curriculum, made overseas study an attractive option.

"When calculated, the amount of money spent on overseas study
is not that much different from that spent on study at local
university. Therefore, many parents prefer to send their children
to study abroad because (with the added advantages) overseas
study is more cost-effective," she said.

Many Indonesians, including those employed at state
institutions, universities or private companies, have the
opportunity to study abroad on scholarships.

Fajar Hidayat, who took post-graduate study majoring in
international banking and finance at Britain's Birmingham
University in 2002, said his study abroad had provided him with
valuable additional knowledge a from high-quality education
system.

"After graduating from Birmingham University I had more
flexibility about what I wanted to do in the job market and I
found alternatives to the standard, straight-ahead banking job,"
said Fajar, an economics specialist at the Embassy of the United
States in Jakarta.

Adi Dzulfuat, who works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is
another ex-student who believes he has benefited from studying
overseas. "Culturally, my overseas study has allowed me to
recognize different behavior, ways of thinking, lifestyles and
appreciate the standard of living of people in developed
countries. Academically, it allows me to think systematically and
logically, thanks to access to an educational system supported by
exceptionally good facilities," said Adi, who took MscEcon's
Intelligence and Strategic Studies program in international
politics at the UK's University of Wales in 2002.

But many also study at an overseas university or college
because their parents' work in a foreign country. Andi
Martosubroto, for instance, lived in Italy for a couple of years
with his father working at the United Nation's Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO). During his stay in Italy, he took
a masters degree in electrical and electronic engineering with a
minor in Japanese at the University of Manchester. He said the
quality education system had enabled him to complete a masters
degree faster. "We do not have a four-year Masters Degree model
in Indonesia. Here, it usually takes longer due to various
reasons, such as the difficulty of finding a lecturer due to
their tight schedules," Andi said.

Above all, the study enabled him to interact with people from
different nationalities, ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds.
"This helps enhance my social and interpersonal skills in working
within a mixed group. In some ways, it has been easier for me to
find a job," said Andi, who currently works as a consultant.

Connie emphasized the positive effects of studying abroad on
students, saying overseas study could broaden students' horizons.

"Overseas study experiences are good for the personalities of
Indonesian students, enabling them to have wide insights into
science, culture, and perhaps, technology, which will certainly
benefit the quality of Indonesian human resources," she said.

Education expert Simon Marcus Gower shared Connie's view:
"Students that come back to Indonesia will have gained both
valuable intellectual development from their studies as well as
cultural awareness."

"They will have been exposed to different ways of thinking and
problem-solving that can be applied to Indonesian life and the
development of the nation," he said.