Producing graduates via world-class education
Sudibyo M. Wiradji, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
National plus universities are becoming increasingly popular among local parents and even among expatriate parents because of the unquestionable quality of the education they offer.
These universities have introduced international standards to their curricula, one of the major strengths that lures students, and several of the universities have received international accreditation.
They offer degree and non-degree programs under tight supervision from well-known foreign universities. They also use English as a medium of instruction.
Some of the universities have attracted students from a number of different countries, so like international schools they provide positive values resulting from a multicultural and multinational environment.
These universities include Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH), the Swiss German University (SGU), the International Undergraduate Program (IUP) at Universitas Bina Nusantara (UBiNus), Monash College at Jakarta (MCJ) and the Gandhi Institute of Business and Technology (GIBT).
These so-called national plus colleges and universities are considered better than most national universities thanks to their international education systems and curriculums. Graduates of these universities are expected to have high academic qualifications, enabling them successfully to enter the job market.
The emergence of national plus universities dates back to several years ago when educators and businesspeople were deeply concerned about the poor quality of local universities, which produced many graduates who were unprepared to enter the job market.
This led to the establishment of UPH in 1994. The number of such universities has increased since then due to the rising demand for a high quality education, especially in subjects such as business, computers and information technology (IT).
There are different types of national plus universities in the country, with different academic programs, educational systems and curriculums. Several universities have academic links with prestigious overseas universities, with academic programs, curriculums and educational systems referring to the overseas universities.
Other universities modify their curriculum after ones from overseas universities, to make their educational standards equivalent to those of top overseas universities.
As universities with international standards, all elements related to learning receive the highest attention, starting from supporting facilities like libraries, laboratories, sports facilities and auditoriums, to academic staff, curriculum and syllabi.
Even though categorized a national plus universities, or those adopting world-class educational curriculums, each of these universities have their own curriculum and educational system. Several universities, like UPH and UBiNus, base their curriculums on national ones, but enriched with international knowledge.
With its spacious and modern campus in Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang, Banten, UPH offers academy, undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Its curriculum is modified with particular aspects of curriculums from overseas universities thanks to its collaboration with prestigious universities from several countries, including the Unites States, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the UK and France
"We have to keep pace with the changing world. Therefore, we take particular aspects of curriculum in accordance with the area of study and combine them with our own curriculum," said UPH marketing and admissions division head Lelly Sudjarwadinata.
She said practical knowledge was emphasized to give graduates the ability to innovate and to develop their knowledge and skills before plunging into careers.
Most of the teachers at UPH are professional, which helps to better prepare students for the world of work, she said.
"Graduates are expected to be expert scholars in their respective fields and to be ready for work," Lelly said.
The university has attracted some 6,000 students, of whom 10 percent come from overseas, including the U.S., the UK, Germany, France, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan.
The UPH campus is also known as a "Digital Campus" and is truly modern with its satellite and Internet networks, enabling faculty members and students to use wireless laptops to access the Internet around campus.
SGU offers bachelor's and master's degrees, with students having the opportunity to continue their studies in Germany after two years of study in Indonesia.
SGU's curriculum is based on the German model, with students receiving not only theory but also balanced practical experience.
SGU's general administration head, Mina Arsita, said that in line with the university's programs, most of which are in applied sciences such as mechatronics, IT, business administration, and hotel and tourism studies, students are required to attend internship programs.
"Students in semester three should attend an internship program at home, while those in semester six should attend a program abroad, such as in Germany," she said. "Graduates are expected to be skilled professionals to fill the need for qualified graduates in the country."
Established in 2000 in Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD), Tangerang, Banten, SGU is the first university in Indonesia to adhere to European standards. The university is equipped with state-of-the- art facilities such as IT labs with permanent Internet connections and automation and mechatronics laboratories.
At Monash Collage at Jakarta (MCJ), students have the opportunity to take a diploma program before pursuing their bachelor's or master's degrees at Monash College in Melbourne, Australia.
MCJ offers course programs in business and IT, with an educational system and curriculum fully adopted from Monash College.
"By fully adopting Monash College's educational system and curriculum, students are expected to be familiar with the system so that they can easily adjust to the Australian environment when they continue in their bachelor's or master's degree," said MCJ marketing manager Arliana.
GIBT, established a year ago, offers non-degree programs in English and Mandarin. The institute is gearing up to offer bachelor degree programs in business, IT and marketing communications.
GIBT is expected to adopt an international educational system and curriculum following the signing of an agreement with Charles Stuart University (CSU) from New South Wales, Australia.
"Our graduates are prepared for the challenges that lie ahead of them in their future business life," said GIBT head Michael Goodwin.
Tuition fees charged at these national plus universities are relatively expensive. UPH, for instance, charges admission fees for academy and undergraduate programs ranging from Rp 21 million to Rp 78.5 million. While, the admission fee for master's programs ranges from Rp 7.1 to Rp 13.4 million.
SGU charges a registration fee, including entrance test, of Rp 300,000. Tuition for the first academic semester is set at Rp 22 million. Tuition for internship programs is Rp 11 million.
Taking an eight-month course at MCJ will cost a student over Rp 50 million.