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)