RI, Australia to work together

RI, Australia to work together

JAKARTA (JP): The governments of Indonesia and Australia have
agreed to establish a joint working group to coordinate and
supervise cooperation between universities in the two countries.

The agreement, signed on Monday by Director General of Higher
Education Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro representing Indonesia
and Ian Chubb, the president of Australian Vice Chancellors'
Committee (AVCC), says the group will consider and approve the
program of cooperative activities, including funding and
contribution, as agreed by the two governments.

"This arrangement is important as up to now the cooperation
between universities has been conducted individually," Satryo
said after the signing of the agreement.

AVCC is the council of Australian university presidents.

The arrangement also covers the forms and fields of
cooperation.

The forms of cooperation under the arrangement should cover
information sharing, human resources development, exchange of
programs and other forms which may be agreed by the two parties
from time to time.

The fields of cooperation include exchange of staff, students
and researchers and mutual recognition of qualifications and
university management.

According to Satryo, every Indonesian university which
cooperates with Australian universities has to report the
agreement between them and any progress that has been made to the
joint group.

"The main purpose of this arrangement is to measure our
capability and to improve the quality of our universities,"
he said. (09)