July 29, 2010
Education groups seek stronger U.S.-Indonesia ties
by Diana Pounds
Last July, president Gregory Geoffroy helped lead a group of American educators to Indonesia to explore educational programs between U.S. and Indonesian universities.
This month, the four organizations participating in that delegation called for a "comprehensive reinvigoration" of the U.S.-Indonesia relationship in higher education through the combined efforts of the two countries' public, private, university and nongovernmental sectors.
The organizations call for efforts to:
- Increase exchanges among students, faculty and researchers, including doubling the number of Indonesians studying in the United States, and tripling the number of Americans studying in Indonesia
- Strengthen the capacity of Indonesian institutions to improve educational performance and attract American students and faculty in new fields of study
- Expand U.S.-Indonesian institutional partnerships, including research partnerships
- Build the capacity of American institutions to participate in study and research on Indonesia, and receive Indonesian students
- Work with Indonesia to facilitate U.S. investment in strengthening Indonesia's education sector
Geoffroy co-chaired the delegation and represented the Association of Land-Grant Universities in last summer's visit to Indonesia. The three other institutions participating in the delegation included the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities; United States-Indonesia Society, which promotes connections between the two countries; Institute of International Education, which administers programs such as the Fulbright Scholarships for the U.S. Department of State; and East-West Center, an education and research organization established by U.S. Congress.
Details
Details on the "Report of the U.S. Higher Education Leaders Mission to Indonesia" are on the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities newsletter.
