INDONESIA - A PARTNER IN HIGHER EDUCATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000693

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/PD, ECA/A
USAID FOR EGAT/ED: GARY BITTNER AND MARTIN HEWITT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID OEXC ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - A PARTNER IN HIGHER EDUCATION

REF: A. STATE 35374


B. STATE 30029

C. JAKARTA 582

JAKARTA 00000693 001.2 OF 002



1. (U) SUMMARY: Indonesia is a strong potential partner in
achieving the Secretary's goal to expand both the role and
impact of U.S. and foreign higher education partnerships in
worldwide social and economic development. Indonesia has
made great progress politically and socially in the last 10
years, but its education system lags behind. At the Higher
Education Summit for Global Development in Washington, DC, on
April 29-30, Indonesia will be participating and eager to
discuss the Secretary's education goals. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) The development of the human and institutional
capacity concept paper (ref A) is well-timed. Indonesia is a
place where there is much potential for private and public
partnerships to improve education and stem the growing
numbers of students who graduate without finding jobs.
Indonesia's education index is lower than that of any of its
neighbors, according to the U.N. Human Development Index
report of 2006. As summarized by a leading national
newspaper, Suharto's educational legacy was one of quantity,
not quality. But government and private citizens and
foundations are looking for ways to boost the education
sector.


3. (U) The Secretary's first priority outcome for the Summit
is to increase the number, kind and quality of strategic
partnerships between U.S. universities and colleges, foreign
universities, private sector partners and foundations that
apply innovative models--particularly in science and
technology, academia and business entrepreneurship and
academic programs promoting economic development. Indonesia
is one place well worth the effort to increase U.S.
educational partnerships. Mission is involved in a variety
of higher education programs and initiatives, including the
flagship Fulbright U.S. and Indonesia scholarship program,
community college and English immersion initiatives, and an
expanding English Teaching Fellows program. In addition, to
attract more Indonesian students to the U.S., Mission has an
active Educational Advising Service run by the binational
Fulbright Commission. Hopefully, one outcome of this
conference would be for the Department and USAID to take a
more active role in promoting linkages between U.S.
institutions and foreign universities.


4. (U) The Summit also seeks to increase the number and type
of exchanges between U.S. and foreign institutions.
Indonesia's Fulbright is the largest it has ever been. It
includes some 23 programs and initiatives for two-way
educational exchange. A key focus is the Fulbright
Presidential Scholarship Program, which is helping Indonesia
increase the number of PhDs by sending about 30-40 doctoral
students to the U.S. per year. Last year the Fulbright
commission awarded a total of 29 PhD scholarships to
Indonesians between the regular program and the Presidential
Scholarship initiative; this year the commission is offering
a total of 43. (Indonesia presently has only about 7,000
doctorates.) Fulbright has adjusted its programs to serve
the needs of the 21st century, but there is a need to do even
more to better cope with the new challenges and changes of
our time. For example, would new linkages be directed at
increasing the number of doctorates in the country, or at
increasing access to higher education for a wider target
group of students? Would new partnerships between
institutions seek ways to use information and communications
technology--not only to increase the quality of higher
education, but to improve access to it for students residing
in the farthest flung of Indonesia's 17,000 islands? Would
new linkages continue to, as some U.S. programs do already,
target students from underserved populations?


5. (SBU) Mission invited presidents of three leading
universities to the Summit, per ref B. Mission encourages
the U.S. participants at the Summit to engage the Indonesian
participants on the two key goals of institutional
partnership and exchanges. The invitees' details follow.

-- Prof. DR. Djoko Santoso
Rector
Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB)
Jl. Taman Sari No. 64
Bandung 40116

JAKARTA 00000693 002.2 OF 002


Indonesia
Phone: 62-022-423-1792 or 62-022-250-8517
Fax: 62-022-423-1792
Email: dsantoso@itb.ac.id; upik@pusat.itb.ac.id

-- Prof. Sudjarwadi
Rector
Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM)
Gedung Pusat UGM Lt. 2, Sayap Utara
Bulak Sumur
Jogyakarta 55281
Indonesia
Phone: 62-0274-563-974 or 62-0274-649-1833 or
62-0274-562011
Fax: 62-0274-52810 or 62-0274-565223
Email: rector@ugm.ac.id or head-oia@ugm.ac.id

-- Prof. DR. Der Soz Kumila Rusliwa Somantri
Rector
Universitas Indonesia (UI)
Gedung Pusat Administrasi
Kampus UI Depok 14624
Jawa Barat
Indonesia
Phone: 62-021-727-0020
Fax: 62-0271-727-0017
Email: rektor@ui.edu; eo-ui@ui.edu

HUME