Many Turkish students study in Indonesian universities
Many Turkish students study in Indonesian universities
JAKARTA (JP): Unknown to many, since 10 years ago, Indonesia
has become an alternative country for Turkish high school
graduates wanting to undertake a university education.
Second secretary of the Turkish Embassy in Jakarta Cemil
Miroglue, said last year alone there were at least 16 Turkish
students pursuing higher education either in state or private
universities in different cities in Indonesia, including Jakarta,
Bandung, Semarang and Yogyakarta.
"The university tuition fee is higher in Turkey than in
Indonesia, while the standard of education here is about
the same as that of Turkish universities," Miroglue said, adding
that the fact that Indonesia is an Islamic country is another
encouraging factor.
The tuition fee for private universities in Turkey ranges from
US$5,000 to $10,000 per student per academic year, while the
tuition fee for state universities range from $100 to $300 per
semester.
Galip Kayar, a Turk studying at the University of Indonesia,
said he only spent Rp 1.5 million for tuition per year. "I spend
about Rp 1 million for my daily needs every month."
Salih Helvaci, a Turkish teacher at SMU (high school) Pribadi
in Depok, South Jakarta, said another reason Turkish high school
graduates eyed Indonesia was because they found it difficult to
pass the university entrance test in their own country.
SMU Pribadi was jointly established by Indonesian and Turkish
private foundations.
Helvaci said more than 1.5 million high school graduates
competed for the 400,000 university seats offered by state
universities in Turkey.
"Many who fail the tests usually wait for the following year's
entrance test or enroll in private universities. But many of them
decide to study abroad, usually in the U.S. or in a European
country. Indonesia has also become their choice."
This year five Turkish students took the two-day university
entrance test (UMPTN) that was held last Tuesday.
Turkish students studying in universities in Indonesia pay for
their expenses as they are not under scholarship.
Some may question if graduates from Indonesian universities
are accepted in other countries, including Turkey, as
universities here are yet to be internationally accredited.
Kayar, who studies political science and majoring in Asia-
Pacific issues at the University of Indonesia said he saw no
problem with Indonesian university degrees in his country.
"A friend of mine who graduated from Gadjah Mada University in
Yogyakarta last year is now employed at a private company in
Turkey."
He said some Turkish students who graduated from universities
in Indonesia were working for Turkish companies operating in
Indonesia.
"I myself will apply for a job at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs after I complete my studies. I want to become a diplomat
because I am majoring in Asia-Pacific issues," Kayar told The
Jakarta Post in a telephone interview.
Kayar said he arrived in Indonesia in 1993 and studied Bahasa
Indonesia for one year at the State Academy of Islamic Studies
(IAIN) in Ciputat. "I passed the Indonesian university entrance
test in 1995."
He said he registered for the 1995 UMPTN with four other
Turkish students, but only three of them succeeded. (04)