Indonesians flock to U.S. universities

Indonesians flock to U.S. universities

JAKARTA (JP): The number of Indonesians studying in American
universities continues to increase.

Since 1993, the number has increased 7.5 percent, said Kay
Ikranagara, executive director of The International Education
Foundation.

"There are now nearly 12,000 Indonesians studying at American
universities compared to 11,000 last year and 10,000 in 1993,"
she told The Jakarta Post.

According to Ikranagara, the figure is growing mostly because
only 7.7 percent of Indonesia's high school graduates are
admitted to state universities.

"We try to provide opportunities for the rest of them to get
higher education in the United States," she said, adding that the
majority of Indonesians studying in American schools are not
there on scholarships or grants.

The International Education Foundation is a private
organization based in Jakarta that organizes the sending of
Indonesian students to the U.S.

Speaking after a Worldnet live show at the United States
Information Service yesterday, Ikranagara said that business
management and engineering are the subjects preferred by
Indonesian students at both the graduate and undergraduate
levels.

"More than 40 percent of Indonesian undergraduate students and
about 35 percent of the graduate students choose business
management," she said.

Engineering, she added, is pursued by about 20 percent of each
group.

The live show featured Michael Lambert, executive director of
the Distance Education and Training Council, who spoke to local
panelists from Washington D.C. via satellite.

Lambert said that one source of accreditation is from the
Commission of Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation, a
private organization.

He said that foreign students should research their choices
before making a decision.

"Students should check carefully about the accreditation
policy of the university," he said.

Lambert said that many universities in U.S. have set up
adaptation programs for foreign students to help them overcome
culture shock.

"A two-week program usually takes place in August," he said.

Freshmen are expected to participate in the briefing and
campus orientation, he added.

Lambert also said that the average age of university students
in the U.S. is increasing.

"The average age is now 28 years," he said, adding that
Indonesians between 30 and 35 should not worry about their age if
they are hoping to pursue an advanced degree. (05)