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.