Ir. Suharti, M.A., Ph.D., Secretary General of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, receives a token of appreciation from Laura Gonzales, Acting Director of the USAID Mission to Indonesia at the US-Indonesia Higher Education Forum on Integration and Cooperation. (Ministry of State /
JAKARTA – Today, the United States Government, the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (MoECRT) and the National Trust Fund (LPDP) hosted the Higher Education Forum – Connect and Collaborate. The forum was organized by the TEMAN LPDP and the Higher Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), two five-year initiatives of more than USD 10 million each in support of Indonesia’s priority of increasing access to quality education.
The forum brought together higher education experts and leaders from 12 US universities, including the University of California at Davis, Northeastern University and Arizona State University. It also brought together representatives of the US Embassy EducationUSA with Indonesian higher education stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, the Education Management Fund Association (LPDP), the Ministry of Religious Affairs and more than 50 Indonesian universities. Participants discussed potential collaboration in the areas of curriculum development, degree and non-degree programs, research collaborations, and student/faculty exchange programs.
“Equipped with a solid education, Indonesia’s youth will be able to acquire the skills they need to tackle some of the toughest development challenges facing the world today. USAID is proud to strengthen our ties with Indonesia to increase access to quality education in the United States, home to some of the best universities and institutions of higher education in the world,” said Laura Gonzales, USAID Indonesia Acting Mission Director.
Forum participants discussed ideas to address the challenges faced by Indonesians, especially those far from urban centers, in accessing information about American university programs and admissions processes. The participants also discussed possible ideas of American universities and possibilities of cooperation to help the Indonesian government to achieve the goals of scholarships for students in study programs and for short-term technical training.
“Higher education institutions in Indonesia are encouraged to collaborate with international partners. MoECRT has introduced five policies to promote cooperation between Indonesian universities and higher education institutions from other countries: coordination of funds for research and academic partnerships, visiting scholars program, fully accredited (one semester) off-campus programs such as the Indonesian International Student Mobility Award ( IISMA ), undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and establishing a presence in Indonesia,” said Ir. Suharti, Secretary General of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology.
The United States is home to nearly 4,000 accredited institutions of higher learning with a proven track record of producing the world’s brightest graduates. Providing more Indonesians with opportunities to access these quality higher education institutions in the United States will improve the quality of Indonesia’s future workforce, which in turn will support Indonesia in achieving sustainable economic growth and development goals.
For more information, visit https://www.usaid.gov/indonesia or contact USAID Communications Specialist Swiny Andina at +62 (21) 5083-1000 or sandina@usaid.gov.
US Embassy in Jakarta | October 18, 2022 | Topics: Press Releases | Labels: USAID
