Report of the U.S. Higher Education Leaders Mission To Indonesia

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USINDO






FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE July 26, 2010




CONTACT:

Alysson Oakley, U.S.-Indonesia Society, 202-232-1400 or aoakley@usindo.org

Sharon Witherell, Institute of International Education, 212-984-5380 or switherell@iie.org

Derek Ferrar East-West Center, 808-944-7204 or ferrard@eastwestcenter.org

Paul F. Hassen, APLU, 202-478-6073 or phassen@aplu.org
Washington, DC, July 26, 2010 – Four U.S. non-governmental organizations today call 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 call to action is contained in the document, 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.” The report was issued today by the United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A۰P۰L۰U), the Institute of International Education (IIE), and the East-West Center.

In the report, the four organizations say 2010 offers the best chance there will ever be for a major United States-Indonesia bilateral initiative on education. The organizations call for a systematic and collaborative public and private effort to:

• enhance the quality, volume, and diversity of exchanges of 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, educate Indonesians to an international standard, and attract American students and faculty in new fields of study;

• significantly expand U.S.-Indonesian institutional partnerships, including research partnerships in areas of global significance and shared concern;

• build the capacity of American institutions to teach Americans about Indonesia, 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.

To address these goals, the report calls for the formation of a “Joint U.S.-Indonesia Council on Higher Education Partnership.” The Council will engage the energies and resources of the private sector, private and public universities, foundations, and the NGO community in each country, in cooperation with the two governments.

“To make progress on such a far-reaching program over the next several years will require the combined energies and resources of governments, universities, foundations, corporations and committed individuals in each country,” said Ambassador David Merrill, president of the U.S.-Indonesia Society (USINDO). “Our organizations look forward to playing an active role in contributing to a deep and robust U.S.-Indonesian bilateral educational partnership.”

The report was based on the findings of the July 2009 U.S. Higher Education Leaders Mission to Indonesia to explore opportunities for expanding higher education programs under the planned U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership. The Higher Education Leader’s Mission was led by four co-chairs representing non-governmental parties involved in the U.S-Indonesia higher educational relationship: Gregory L. Geoffroy, president of Iowa State University and representative of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A۰P۰L۰U); Allan Goodman, president and CEO of the Institute of International Education; Ambassador David Merrill, president of the United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO), and Charles E. Morrison, president of the East-West Center.

For a full copy of the press release and a list of the delegation, click here.

For a PDF of report, please click here.


The United States-Indonesia Society (www.usindo.org) is dedicated to expanding understanding of Indonesia and of the importance of the United States-Indonesia relationship. As the world's third largest democracy and the fourth most populous country, Indonesia is one of the United States' most important partners on trade and security issues. The mission of the United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO) is to expand mutual understanding in the areas of politics, economics, history, culture, and the importance of the bilateral relationship, through work with leaders in government and nongovernmental organizations, educators, the media, business, and the general public.

The Institute of International Education (www.iie.org), an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1919, is the world’s most experienced global higher education and professional exchange organization. IIE has a network of 18 offices worldwide, more than 1,000 college and university members, and more than 5,000 volunteers. IIE designs and implements 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 and Humphrey Fellowships and the Gilman Scholarships administered for the U.S. Department of State.

East-West Center (www.EastWestCenter.org) is an education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The Center contributes to a peaceful, prosperous, and just Asia Pacific community by serving as a vigorous hub for cooperative research, education, and dialogue on critical issues of common concern to the Asia Pacific region and the United States. Funding for the Center comes from the U.S. government, with additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and the governments of the region.

Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (www.aplu.org) is an association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems, founding in 1887. A۰P۰L۰U member campuses enroll more than 3.5 million undergraduate and 1.1 million graduate students, employ more than 645,000 faculty members, and conduct nearly two-thirds of all academic research, totaling more than $34 billion annually. As the nation’s oldest higher education association, A۰P۰L۰U is dedicated to excellence in learning, discovery and engagement.