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