International university finds local market
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
What do people seek from an overseas education? The fact that a large number of Indonesian students are seeking higher education abroad encouraged several professionals to bring quality education closer to Indonesians by establishing the Swiss German University (SGU).
The efforts are paying off. Last Saturday, 58 students graduated with a double bachelor degree, and 31 others with master's degree from SGU.
"Part of the reason I chose this school is its international standard of education. It means that I do not have to fly far from home," said one of SGU's top graduates, Athalia Sugiarto.
Several other parents stated similar reasons for sending their children to the university, despite the fact that they have to set aside Rp 22 million every semester and Rp 11 million during the students' internship.
An engineering degree course in Germany would probably cost them an average of US$3,000 per semester.
Located in the industrial German Center of Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) estate, SGU reported an increasing yearly intake after it was established in 2000 as a joint effort between Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Indonesia.
"We started with only 30 students, but this year alone we accepted 274 new ones," said SGU Vice Rector Ketut Tejawibawa, adding that last year there were 220 new students entering the university.
This year, at its fourth graduation ceremony, 58 students earned a double bachelor degree and 31 others master's degree from SGU's four faculties -- engineering, information technology, business administration and life sciences.
SGU Rector Peter Pscheid, who is also a former rector at the Institute of Technology St Gallen in Switzerland, explained that despite its international name, the university tried to hire Indonesian lecturers as well as several expatriates.
"We feel that Indonesians who have a degree from Germany or other European countries have proven their intellectual agility by taking heavy courses in engineering while adapting to a new environment and learning the language," he said.
Initially setting an image of an engineering school -- a field in which Germany excels -- nowadays SGU finds more students interested in its business administration program as 60 percent of them are taking the course, explained Ketut.
"Engineering is heavy work and is limited only to high school graduates who major in science. We want to open ourselves to both science and social studies students," he added.
Most of the students graduated from several exclusive private high schools, such as Jakarta's Santa Ursula, Pangudi Luhur, Al Azhar and Lab Schools.
With an enrollment requirement of a minimum of 4.25 score on final examinations and a reasonable standard of English, SGU graduates were able to find jobs from between one and six months after graduation.
"We learn a lot about the work culture during our internship, especially the one I had in Germany," said Athalia.
She explained that professionalism was really highlighted in the company she worked for during her internship.
Besides everything else that it offers, a close network with manufacturing industries ready to absorb its graduates is probably its best asset.