Many opportunities for scholarships in Europe

Zora Rahman, Contributor, Jakarta

Pesona Pingka is more than a nice riverside garden restaurant on the outskirts of Yogyakarta. It is a successful eco-farming project, the product of the sophisticated biotech knowledge and international experience of its Balinese owner.

The terraced restaurant with its own garden and several fish ponds is the latest highlight in the career of Wayan Artama, a career marked by an enormous amount of courage and consistency. Since his youth he dreamed of owning his own restaurant, and he found the ideal complement for this old dream through his scientific studies, which taught him about modern ecological techniques, during his doctoral scholarship in Germany.

Today, the biochemist offers his guests healthy food and relaxation in a beautiful and clean environment.

Wayan Artama has always had the soul of a pioneer. Twenty years ago, he was one of the very first Indonesian students to receive a scholarship to study in Germany. To be exact, he was the second student from Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University to be selected by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for the chance to continue his postgraduate studies at the Free University in the former West-Berlin.

This was a lucky break for Wayan himself, but advantageous for his sponsors as well. He not only finished his doctoral degree with excellent grades, he also built an academic network between scientists of both countries, one still active today, supporting the interaction of scholars between Germany and Indonesia (GIANT - German-Indonesian Academic Network and Training, contact: 0274- 543701).

In 1982, the range of scholarships was still quite limited. Today, only the DAAD offers the possibility of four different doctorates to a biochemistry student with Wayan's qualifications (S2-degree with an average minimum of 2.75 grade point average and an excellent TOEFL-score), even including what is available from other European institutions such as the British Council, Edufrance or the Netherlands Education Center.

"An advantage of studying in Europe -- as opposed to America -- is the possibility of learning another foreign language besides English, as well as experiencing a huge variety of different cultures," Wayan said. "I chose Germany because it is especially recommended for all fields of technical science -- and because universities there do not require student fees."

Those considering applying for a scholarship in Europe should inform themselves carefully about the conditions and qualifications. Those who are not yet fluent in the relevant language must calculate how long it will take before becoming fluent enough to continue their studies. Being prepared for lifestyle, social, and cultural changes can avoid a loss of study time caused by unanticipated cultural shocks.

The different education systems also need to be considered. While French and English universities have strictly organized schedules for their students, German schools leave students relatively free to create their own schedules.

"This freedom is only recommended for students who have enough discipline to organize themselves", Wayan Artama said. "For me it was a very useful lesson in discipline and willpower."

This attitude has already influenced Wayan's daughter, who spent her early childhood with her parents in Berlin. Fluent in German and English, she is now studying French and hopes to receive a scholarship to study in Paris, the city of her dreams. Her father sees this as a logical continuation of his experiences.

Studying should, of course, be the primary focus of a scholarship student. However, an inevitable but valuable side benefit is the various experiences scholars gain by staying in another country with another culture.

"Everybody who wants to achieve something in life needs to look for experiences of this kind -- to learn how to deal with other people, to create networks, and to be innovative and flexible in his way of thinking," Wayan said. "At the very least, you will find out a lot about yourself."

Service and Information:

http://uksholarshipsdatabase.britishcouncil.org/ The British Council is a recommended search engine for scholarships in Great Britain. It gives 350 different offers for Indonesian students

www.edufrance.fr The number of scholarships granted by the French government is very limited. Consequently, the selection process is quite strict. Minimum conditions: The applicants need an S2-degree and may not be older than 35. Priority is given to doctoral subjects that are related to Indonesia, especially law, politics and the social sciences. Connections with agricultural or health concerns might be an advantage. You can telephone 021-310795 or e-mail: cultujkt@uninet.net.id

www.daad.de The German Academic Exchange Service has reorganized the structure of its student programs. The two big lines are now called "study scholarships" for students who want to reach the German equivalent of the S2-degree (1 to 24 months) and "research scholarships" for postgraduates (10 months to three years, deadline for the next application round: Dec. 23, 2002).

Beside that, there are offers of special scholarships; for example, the "biosciences" program (next application deadline: March 1, 2003) or the "Leibniz-Stipendium", provided that the student finds a German Institution that accommodates the applicant's research area. The DAAD office is open for student consultation from Monday to Thursday, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. (phone: 021-5252807, email: daadjak@rad.net.id)

www.netherlandsembassy.or.id/html/nec.cfm The website of the Netherlands Education Center in Jakarta, created by Dutch Universities and Institutes for International Education, informs candidates from Indonesia about university programs in the Netherlands (offers a wide range of study programs in English, as well)

www.mtv411.com/education-scholarships&grants.htm A general search engine for international scholarships.