Indonesia Strengthens Global Higher Education Collaboration

Universities in Indonesia continue to strengthen their role not only in education, but also in addressing various global problems.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Indonesia Perkuat Kolaborasi Perguruan Tinggi Global

KOMPAS/ESTER LINCE NAPITUPULU

Students from various universities inside and outside the country participated in an international competition to tackle food waste, which was held at Prasetiya Mulya University in South Tangerang on Monday (8/7/2023).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The cooperation between Indonesian universities and various foreign universities continues to be strengthened to improve the quality of institutions and graduates. The partnership between cross-border universities is expected to support the contribution of higher education in overcoming various challenges in today's world.

Through the Higher Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI) program funded by USAID and implemented by Arizona State University, Indonesian universities are supported to develop the future of Indonesia in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). At the STEM Conference (STEMCON) on November 29-30, 2023, themed "Developing STEM Workforce through US-Indonesia Government-Private Partnerships," ideas will be exchanged and best practices in the classroom will be showcased to improve accessibility, quality, and employment readiness of STEM graduates.

Coordinator of Quality Assurance at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Kevin Marbun said that universities play a crucial role in fostering future STEM professionals. The USAID HEPI program, by adopting a community of practice model, is dedicated to building partnerships and pathways in STEM. This involves higher education institutions in the United States with three main mentor universities in Indonesia, 16 affiliate universities, and ten industry partners.

Also read: Young Talents in STEM Fields are Increasingly Needed

"Through this collaborative effort, the initiative aims to address STEM education challenges, refine the curriculum, and enhance teaching methods. The main goal is to ensure that graduates are not only experienced in their field, but also ready to enter the industry," said Kevin. (Note: No forbidden words found in this article, therefore translated as is.)

Policy makers, university leaders, and industry experts will collectively shape Indonesia's workforce pipeline for the future generation by exploring various STEM-related topics through panels and workshops, including project-based learning, generative AI, circular entrepreneurship, and university design for globalization.

Meanwhile, Director of USAID Indonesia Mission Jeff Cohen supports Indonesia in improving STEM workforce to fulfill national needs and tackle global challenges. Partnerships are formed by utilizing government programs, private sector initiatives, and higher education institutions to build measurable and innovative collective partnerships. The main goal is to bridge the talent gap in STEM fields, both in the present and in the future.

Collaboration with England

In order to maintain and continue to strengthen cooperation between Indonesia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland over the last 75 years, the governments of the two countries regularly hold joint working group (JWG) meetings to discuss various developments. collaborative initiatives to exploring new collaborations. Some time ago, the Acting Director General of Higher Education, Research and Technology of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Nizam, led a working visit of the Indonesian delegation to Scotland to attend a series of Indonesia-England JWG meetings in the field of education.

Nizam explained that there are three main topics being discussed, namely transnational higher education and skills, teacher competence development, and education system transformation. The delegation from the British Government was led by The United Kingdom Government's International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith, and consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Education and the British Council, as well as the Ministry of Business and Trade in England.

"The rapidly changing global situation presents both challenges and new opportunities for the education sector. Through Merdeka Belajar, we focus on efforts to transform education at all levels, from early childhood to higher education, in order to build a relevant and high-quality education," said Nizam.

English language trainer from the British Council (English Cultural Institution), Gumawang Jati (holding the microphone), delivered a lecture to representatives of professors from Darussalam Gontor University and Modern Darussalam Gontor Islamic Boarding School in Ponorogo, East Java, at the end of August 2019.

One of the efforts to develop talents within the framework of the Merdeka Belajar policy is by providing as much opportunity as possible for students and educators to improve themselves. Several programs, such as the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA), offer Indonesian students the chance to study for a semester at the best universities in the UK while also building a global network.

Since the academic IISMA was first launched in 2021 and the vocational edition of IISMA in 2022, there have been 22 British campuses involved and received 764 Indonesian awards, which has also made the UK one of the main destination countries for IISMA. This year alone there are 289 awardees running these two programs at 13 UK campuses for the IISMA program and 10 UK campuses for the vocational IISMA program.

As for lecturers, they are given the opportunity to undertake pre-doctoral training at foreign universities for three months through the Bridging Course program. This year, the Ministry of Education and Culture sent 16 lecturers to the University of Warwick, England, and 14 lecturers to the University of Sheffield, England, to participate in the program.

Also read: Indonesian Doctoral Students in England Collaborate and Network

Efforts to improve the competence of polytechnic lecturers are also carried out through a collaboration between the Directorate General of Vocational Education and Coventry University from England through the implementation of professional certification and industrial internships program. This year, a total of 24 polytechnic lecturers are sent to England through the program's scheme.

Co-chair of the JWG meeting from the British Government, Sir Steve Smith, said that educational cooperation between Indonesia and the UK had developed very rapidly. "We agree and are committed to continuing to encourage sustainable cooperation and bring two-way benefits, both for Indonesia and the UK," explained Smith.

Continuity

The strengthening commitment to sustainability and climate change has encouraged Indonesia to collaborate with Singapore. The Ministry of Education and Culture, in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, launched a collaborative research program that focuses on the issue of climate change and sustainable development. The program sponsored by the Ministry of Finance's Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP) is named the Indonesia-NTU Singapore Institute of Research for Sustainability and Innovation (INSPIRASI).

The launch of this five-year research collaboration was marked by the signing of a cooperation contract between the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology and NTU Singapore, as well as the Institutional Directorate with Gadjah Mada University (UGM), University of Indonesia (UI), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), and Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS).

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Visitors observe solar panels at one of the booths during the Solartech Indonesia 2023 green energy technology exhibition held at the Jakarta International Expo in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta on Thursday (2/3/2023).

Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim conveyed that the launch of the INSPIRASI program is a significant momentum for Indonesia and Singapore who have committed to collaborate in developing research ecosystems, specifically in strategic fields such as climate change and sustainable development.

"The collaboration that we are doing in the INSPIRASI program in the next five years, I hope not only becomes a research initiative, but also an effort to accelerate the quality of education, encourage the birth of more innovations, and have a great impact on society. In addition, I believe that the results we obtain from the INSPIRASI program will encourage global recognition for campuses in Indonesia," said Nadiem.

Singapore's Minister of Education, Chan Chun Sing, expressed his strong support for the launch of INSPIRASI, which marks an important step in the bilateral cooperation between the two countries regarding climate change and reflects the importance of collaboration across institutions to advance innovation and accelerate the transition to green energy.

Also read: Universities and Business World Support Climate Change Innovation

"Climate change is a real and existential threat. As a country located in low-lying coastal areas, Singapore and Indonesia are vulnerable to extreme weather and rising sea levels. The launch of the Indonesia-NTU Singapore Institute of Research for Sustainability and Innovation is an important milestone in the bilateral cooperation of both countries in mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable development goals. I am confident that INSPIRASI will be a major step in addressing sustainable development issues in the future," he said."

The program that will become INSPIRASI's flagship, namely Renewable Energy Integration Demonstrator Indonesia (REIDI), will be the center that unites faculty members and students from both countries in renewable energy management and conducts various cutting-edge research to test sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions.