Why overseas graduates?

Why overseas graduates?

Reading the requirements for "career opportunities" announced
by a major Asia-Pacific conglomerate in Kompas (Jan. 19), I was
very proud that a growing Indonesian company was assisting in
economic development. Interested in knowing the demand for
employment, I continued reading.

To my disappointment, the announcement which offered thirteen
job opportunities for Jakarta, Pekanbaru and Medan, required
among others one Jakarta-based banking relationship manager and
Medan-based management trainees, which is ridiculous. They
clearly stated that they only wanted "fresh graduates from
overseas universities," missing the word "preferably".

In my opinion this implies that the Indonesian education
system is just a joke, and domestic graduates are unreliable for
fulfilling the positions offered.

There are numerous universities in Indonesia which produce a
number of qualified graduates, no less skillful than overseas
graduates. An English professor once asked why some
undergraduates preferred to take courses overseas. He believed
that Indonesian graduates were as competent as overseas
graduates.

Just to satisfy my curiosity, is there any reason for not
considering students who have graduated in Indonesia for the job?

OLIVIA LESTARI INDRA

Jakarta