SGU offers modern campus life with a human touch

SGU offers modern campus life with a human touch

Technology plays an important role in Swiss German
University's modern campus, which is going wireless soon.

With the implementation of a fully wireless campus in August
2005, all students and lecturers will have their own computer
that can be operated via a wireless connection.

Swiss German University (SG), located in Bumi Serpong Damai,
West Java, has signed an agreement with Hewlett-Packard Indonesia
to provide students and lecturers with a computer at a good
price.

Under the cooperation agreement, new bachelor's degree
students will have the opportunity to buy a brand new HP tablet
PC that normally costs about Rp 25 million for just Rp 16
million. In addition, the university will then reduce the
student's tuition fee by Rp 1 million per semester (for a maximum
of eight semesters) during their study at SGU.

For example, instead of paying the tuition fee of Rp 22
million for the first semester, the student who buys the notebook
will only have to pay Rp 21 million.

There is no question about the importance of technology on the
campus. However, putting too much weight on technology alone
without realizing that there are other things that are deemed
more important for the development of the students could be
dangerous, the university's rector, Prof. Dr. Peter Pscheid,
says.

Technology is important, but human interaction is more
important. Without sufficient human interaction, anyone who
relies too much on technology could be isolated from others.

"Therefore, students should sit together, discuss things with
one another, and eat together in a nice environment," Dr. Pscheid
says. To promote the social life within the campus life, students
are encouraged to take part not only in serious discussions on
various topics but also in extracurricular activities like
dancing and music.

SGU is a government and privately sponsored university for
the ASEAN region and is run by the Swiss German University-Asia
Foundation, headed by the German Ambassador to Indonesia.

SGU was established in 2000 as a joint effort between Germany,
Austria, Switzerland and Indonesia. It aims to develop skilled
professionals to fulfill the need for qualified graduates to
strengthen links between Asia and Europe.

It offers courses in Mechatronics (Mechanical Engineering,
Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Information Technology),
Information Technology (General IT and Business IT, Multi
Media/Inter Media), Business Administration
(Banking/Insurance/Auditing), Hotel and Tourism Management and
Life Sciences (Pharmaceutical Engineering, Food Technology and
Biomedical Engineering). This last faculty was opened just last
year.

The campus has a chemical laboratory and a sophisticated
environmental laboratory, which fulfill European safety and
security standards.

Referring to the environmental laboratory that has a value of
about 1 million Euro, Dr. Pscheid says; "It's officially a
contribution from Germany."

Equipment for the laboratory was shipped from Germany to
ensure quality. SGU, however, also had to work hard, struggling
with red tape and bureaucracy, to ensure that all of the
sophisticated instruments arrived safely at the campus.

All courses, except German and Mandarin, at SGU are delivered
in English. Classes have an average of about 20 students,
allowing extensive interaction between the students and the
lecturer. This also provides an opportunity for the students to
receive individual attention from the lecturer.

There are about 700 students studying on the campus, which is
strictly smoke, alcohol and drug free. Most students come from
various parts of the country, especially Jakarta, Medan,
Yogyakarta, Semarang, Bandung and Palembang. The others are
foreigners from Europe and countries like China, Algeria and
India.

SGU combines theoretical and practical training (in a special
internship program). The programs and degrees are internationally
recognized and the students get a double degree from Germany and
Indonesia. "Currently there are 85 students who are in Germany
for an internship," says Dr. Pscheid, who recently received an
award from the German president for his dedication to Indonesian
- German relations.

Next year, SGU will send some students of Hotel and Tourism
Management to Switzerland. Starting this year, scholarships are
available for new students with outstanding final exam results at
Senior High School (SMA). They will be charged only half of the
tuition fee.

The tuition fee per academic semester (semesters one, two,
four, five, seven and eight) is Rp 22 million while the fee
during the internship semesters (semesters three and six) is Rp
11 million. The fee includes the laboratories, examination and
excursion programs.

SGU also offers a Master's Degree Program in Business
Administration, Business Engineering, Business Informatics and a
PhD Program that is conducted jointly with Technischen
Universitaet Ilmenau in Germany. It also offers executive
seminars in various areas, such as strategic management, "new
corporate governance" provided by visiting professors from
Europe.