Texas A&M Part Of Program To Support U.S.-Indonesia Partnerships In Higher Education

Texas A&M University is one of six U.S. institutions being paired with Indonesian institutions as part of the U.S. Indonesia Partnership Program for Study Abroad Capacity (USIPP). The Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education announced the partnership Monday to help advance Indonesian higher education institutions’ capacity to provide high-quality study abroad programs for U.S. undergraduates.

The two-year initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), will bring together the institutions to develop new, innovative study abroad opportunities for U.S. undergraduates in Indonesia and ultimately help Indonesian universities better prepare to host American students.

Over the two-year period, USIPP will work to develop and pilot six new study abroad programs for students from the United States. The initiative will interview the participating students and university administrators for feedback to identify lessons learned and next steps, so that institutions can provide high quality study abroad programs and prepare to host more international students in Indonesia. A final written report will serve as a hands-on tool for international education practitioners.

In addition to Texas A&M, participating U.S. institutions are the University of Michigan, the University of Washington Chatham University, Lehigh University and Miami Dade College.

Through IIE’s Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education and in collaboration with IIE’s Jakarta-based affiliate, the Indonesian International Education Foundation (IIEF), the program will build a foundation for expanding academic partnerships between other U.S. and Indonesian institutions, enabling faculty and students at home and host campuses to deepen mutual understanding and broaden the ongoing exchange of individuals and ideas between the U.S. and Indonesia.

Ambassador Eric Bost, vice president for global initiatives at Texas A&M, says the program “comes along at a pivotal time for both Texas A&M University and for the strengthening ties between the U.S. and Indonesia.

“Our university, along with many other universities around the nation, has identified Indonesia as a priority for university and institutional engagement,” Bost explains. “Indonesian institutions of higher education have improved drastically over the past decade and provide an outstanding environment for our students to learn about cultural differences and acceptance, as well as Indonesian systems of education, government and private sector. Additionally, for the same reasons, we are honored to have the opportunity to host Indonesian students and faculty counterparts on our campus.”

USIPP main goals are to help Indonesian institutions evaluate and improve their international capacity; identify both general and country-specific best practices in preparing for and building study abroad capacity, and disseminate these resources to the wider higher education community; deepen the academic engagement of faculty and institutions in the U.S. and Indonesia; and thus increase the number of U.S. undergraduate students studying abroad for credit in Indonesia.

According to IIE’s annual Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, also supported by ECA, more than 7,000 students from Indonesia were enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities during the past several academic years, while less than 100 U.S. students studied abroad in Indonesia in academic year 2007/08 (the most recent year for which data is available).

“Strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and Indonesia through higher education is a critical goal for both countries, and it is an honor for IIE, in collaboration with IIEF, to facilitate constructive partnerships between institutions in the U.S. and Indonesia,” says IIE President and CEO Allan Goodman. “The Institute has made a long term commitment, along with ECA, to deepening this relationship and looks forward to having an effective, sustained impact.”

In July 2009, IIE, joined by United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A۰P۰L۰U), and the East-West Center, co-chaired a U.S. Higher Education Leaders Mission to Indonesia to explore opportunities for expanding higher education programs under the planned U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership. This year this coalition of leading non-governmental organizations released the findings of that mission in the Report of the U.S. Higher Education Leaders Mission To Indonesia: Recommendations on U.S.-Indonesia Enhanced Cooperation In Higher Education Under The Planned “Comprehensive Partnership,” calling for a comprehensive re-invigoration of the U.S.-Indonesia relationship in higher education in 2010 through the combined efforts of the two countries’ public, private, university and NGO sectors.

The Institute of International Education (IIE), a not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. IIE designs and implements over 200 programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government and private sources. These programs include the Fulbright Student and Scholar programs, the Gilman International Scholarship Program, and the Humphrey Fellowships, administered for the Department of State, as well as corporate and foundation training and scholarship programs. IIE also conducts policy research, provides advice and counseling on international educational opportunities abroad, and provides emergency support to students and scholars in danger. The Institute of International Education has a network of 18 international offices worldwide and more than 1,000 college and university members. Since IIE was founded, a total of 62 IIE alumni or Trustees have won the Nobel Prize.

IIE works through the Indonesian International Education Foundation (IIEF) to administer its programs in Indonesia. IIEF is an Indonesian organization which administers higher education scholarship programs for in-country and overseas study, as well as short-term training programs for professionals and scholars. IIEF works closely with the Indonesian Government, in particular the Indonesian Ministry of National Education, to implement a variety of programs aimed at promoting Indonesian education and international exchange.

IIE/Indonesia administers the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP), as well as the Indonesia English Language Study Program (IELSP), in partnership with IIE, for the U.S. Department of State.