U.S. most popular foreign study destination
U.S. most popular foreign study destination
JAKARTA (JP): The United States is the most popular
destination for Indonesian students wishing to study abroad,
according to coordinators of overseas education.
"The United States is still seen as the most prestigious
destination," according to Henny Ardi of LIA Overseas Training
and Travel.
She was speaking on the sidelines of an international
education fair here Sunday. Aimed at providing information to
high school and university graduates seeking to further their
studies abroad, the fair will also be held in Bandung,
Yogyakarta, Semarang, and Surabaya.
Universities and colleges from 18 countries are taking part;
they include the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the
United Kingdom, Switzerland and France.
Participants said the most popular fields of study were
English language programs, business administration, engineering,
hotel management and aviation.
Indonesia, the United States and Malaysia have recently formed
twin college concepts for hotel management and aviation
education.
The President of Southwind Aviation Academy of the United
States, Robert Harper III, said that a pilot school was started
in Jakarta this year in cooperation with his country's Federal
Aviation Authority and LIA Overseas Training and Travel.
Harper said the seven-month program aims to train Indonesians
in aviation English and aviation knowledge; five months of the
study period are spent on practical training in the United
States.
Director of studies at the Institute of Hotel Training Joezhar
N. Beten said a twin college program in hotel management under
LIA-Bhakti Mitra was established this year for Indonesian
students.
Students are taught six months of theory in Indonesia and six
months of practical training in Malaysia.
Hanief, from the Educational Advising service of American
Indonesian Education Foundation, advised Indonesian students to
apply to American colleges and universities 11 to 18 months in
advance.
Roland A. Fischer, director of Saint Cloud State University,
in Texas, said that international students considering studies in
the United States must maintain their full-time student status,
be in good academic standing, have an authorized work permit and
complete their studies within the specified timeframe.
However, he said, international students would still be
allowed to work 20 hours a week on campus and pursue practical
training related to their fields of study for 14 months after
graduation.
American university courses for foreigners cost between
US$6,000 and $10,000 a year.
American immigration authorities plan to place a tracking
system on foreign students in the United States in 1999, Fischer
said. (01)