Rebuilding educational links between Indonesia and Australia

Rebuilding educational links between Indonesia and Australia

By Emma Cameron

JAKARTA (JP): Australia made about A$380 million (US$240
million) from Indonesian students studying in Australia in 1998.
Although relations are getting better between the two countries
after some recent problems, Indonesians on the streets still
express some concerns about their safety in Australia should they
choose to travel there. So how is this concern affecting the
highly lucrative world of international study?

The UK would probably be Australia's biggest competitor in the
market for Indonesian students and their dollars. Both under the
Commonwealth, with the same governmental and legal system, their
largely public university systems give Indonesian students the
accreditation that is vital if they decide they want to work for
the government.

Bandung Branch Manager at the Indonesia-Britain Education
Center (IBEC) Peggy Slamet has had specific instances of
Indonesians coming to her with fears about study in Australia.

"About three weeks ago in my office in Bandung I was visited
by three ladies who said they were already enrolled in a
university in Australia and they were hesitant and weren't sure
about what to do," she said

The problem that students such as these encounter is that
while the Australian academic year begins in February, for most
UK universities it begins in September, leaving ambitious, young
Indonesians with seven months to fill.

Rumors abound with prospective students unsure about what to
believe. At an IBEC Open Day on Saturday the mood was mixed. Elsa
is in the market for an undergraduate degree and is looking at
London because her father told her that the best education is in
London.

She has been keeping an eye on Australia, however, and said:
"some friends said it's okay, some said it's not. I don't know
exactly, I'm still confused about it."

Izzin is looking to do his PhD abroad, after having recently
completed a masters in economics in Australia. Happy with his
time in Australia, he said about the recent tensions "that's just
between the government, not between the people."

In his experience of choosing where to study overseas, it was
best to choose the country, then the city and finally the
university. Liking the country you will study in is incredibly
important, he said, adding "you will not only be studying. You
will also go to cafes, museums and sports centers."

Although he has heard that tuition in Belgium is much cheaper,
his love of English football is currently tempting him toward
Britain, as well as good reports from friends. Izzin is a typical
prospective student for the UK as they tend to attract a
postgraduate market as opposed to Australia which is more
undergraduate orientated.

The reason for the UK's postgraduate monopoly is fairly clear,
as another prospective student Stefan said: "I don't want to
waste time". Postgraduate courses in the UK take only one year to
complete while those in Australia and the United States take two.

Although there is a certain amount of rivalry between the
different countries, they have regular meetings together. All
countries' intakes have been hurt by the recent economic crisis
with universities now offering relief programs.

"Until two years ago, when the economic situation became
worse, we had about 3,000 Indonesian students studying in the UK.
This has dropped by about 30 percent," Peggy said. This number is
low compared to the 17,000 students studying in Australian
education institutions in 1999.

Katherine Campbell, counselor for the Education and Training
section of The Australian Embassy in Jakarta, was not aware of
any Indonesian students canceling their next year of studies in
Australia.

"During the height of the problems there was a downturn of
inquiries, but things are going back to normal," she said.
Katherine added that all reports of Indonesians being harassed
while in Australia were unverified and the result of incorrect
reporting.

The Australian Embassy is now capitalizing on Australia's
hosting of the 2000 Olympics and putting together a "Study in
Australia 2000" program to be launched late in January.

In co-ordination with the Tourism Council of Australia, the
aim is to be bright and colorful and take advantage of the Sydney
Olympics. Ideally the program, which will include promotional
events such as newspaper supplements and sponsoring information
and predeparture sessions, would have been held in October but
due to the climate at the time it was not considered appropriate.

Although the program will run during February, by which time
the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) system will have begun
and the university year will be about to, Katherine said there
were still the options of English language training and
vocational courses which can begin at any time of the year.

With an academic year that is being geared around the Olympics
so that all students have the option of going to Sydney, the
event is proving the perfect opportunity to rebuild the still
tentative educational links with Indonesia.