Symbolizing the beginning of a new chapter for internationalization of higher education in Indonesia, Mr Nadiem Makarim who is the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, recently inaugurated the first foreign university in the country. Monash University which is a world famous research-centric Australian university started its campus in Indonesia and welcomes students in two new postgraduate programs - Master of Cyber Security, and Master of Public Health. Apart from these programs, students can also choose executive programs as well as short-term certification programs in emerging areas that will be in high demand in the future. Leveraging this fresh start, the Indonesian government is aiming to improve their presence known in the international higher education realm and develop into an attractive and value for money education destination for foreign students.     

Even with around 150 public universities and 3000 private universities up till now, Indonesia hasn’t been able to be amongst the top international higher education destinations in the world. Acknowledging the importance of the matter, the government of the country has invested heavily in improving and globalizing its higher education infrastructure.  Aside from that, the educational strata of the country is seeing increasing investment and participation from private entities which has not only helped in creating new educational institutions but this has also helped when it comes to improving the quality of their curriculum and educators. Aside from that, the investments made by the government and private players are also focusing on improving the infrastructure to welcome more international students into the country. With that being the case, let’s analyze some of the most popular higher education options for international students in Indonesia and what makes these an appealing option.      

Industry Driven Computer Science Programs  

When it comes to computer science education in Indonesia, students have the option to choose from 86 Bachelor programs, 30 Masters Programs, and 5 PhD programs. There are a plethora of top-notch computer science institutions in Indonesia and these include University of Jember, Airlangga University, Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta, and State University of Padang to name a few. Apart from these myriad of options, computer science education like most other streams are affordable in Indonesia with bachelor programs in computer science starting from INR 92,000. Even though the course fee is significantly cheaper when compared to other popular international higher education destinations, Indonesian computer science educators has made sure that they offer innovative, technology-centric and industry-driven programs to their students.   

A great example that showcases the quality and ingenuity of computer science education in Indonesia is Bina Nusantara University also known as BINUS University. The university that started off as a normal training institute for computer courses has grown onto become one of the leading names in Indonesian computer science education. As of now, the university offers Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Master of Information Technology program to name a few. The primary catalysts behind the success of BINUS University was its ability and drive to understand the technological trends happening in the space and encouraging students to innovate through computer science education. Aside from that, the institute prioritizes on offering a great computer science foundation that covers all the fundamentals of the subject to its learners. On top of that, in order to increase the employability of their students, the institute offers specialist courses outside of their regular programs. By focusing more on developing the programming ethics, and software skills of the students, the university is able to develop the critical thinking and problem solving skills of the students while at the same time ensuring that they are inspired to innovate and learn new things consistently.        

Tourism Education and Hands-on Practice

Indonesia is one of the most visited countries in the world and even during the height of the pandemic in 2021, 1.56 million international tourists visited Indonesia. With the tourism sector of the country being a significant contributor to the nation’s economy, the Indonesian government has invested heavily in making the country an international tourist hotspot. And this has played an integral part in Indonesia becoming a great hospitality education destination for international students. Aside from the plethora of tourism and hospitality related job openings in the country, the hospitality institutions in Indonesia is able to offer world-class hands on training to the students. And as a global tourist hub, the hospitality students in the country can see firsthand the latest trends happening in the sector.   

One of the best tourism education institutes in Indonesia is Gadjah Mada University which is also regularly ranked amongst the best in Asia. Through their program, the university aspires to nurture capable professionals who can compete with the best in the industry both nationally and internationally. Aside from offering conventional tourism education, Gadjah Mada University prioritizes on training their students on a multitude of tourism activities, and how it impacts the different stake holders in the industry, the culture of a region, and the environment as a whole. And owing to the hands-on training offered by the institute, their alumni have found careers in different levels of the tourism industry. Also, acknowledging the importance of borderless tourism education, Gadjah Mada University has built strategic relationships with other pioneering tourism institutes in Thailand, Australia, Japan, and Netherlands.    

Mechanical Engineering; Quality and Career Development

Mechanical engineering is a popular higher education option in Indonesia with multiple world-class institutions offering job-centric and innovation driven mechanical engineering programs. Aside from the top-notch quality of education, another aspect that surprises many when it comes to Mechanical engineers in Indonesia is that, on average they get paid over INR 65,000 per month. And this is a great package where the cost of living is more than 53 percent lower when compared to the United States. Also, the rent in Indonesia is 82 percent lower than the US and all this makes it an ideal destination for those who want to pursue a career in mechanical engineering.   

A great example which showcases the quality of mechanical engineering education in Indonesia is Universitas Islam Indonesia. The institute focuses on inculcating the competencies of product design and industrial automation among their students and this enables them to have a solid foundation on mechanical engineering. This coupled with the training provided on improving the analytical skills of the learners helps them to become better problem solvers as well. Then, when it comes to infrastructure, Universitas Islam Indonesia has cutting edge technologies and state of the art infrastructure such as labs for CAD/CAM/CNC, Mechatronics etc. Aside from that, through their partnership with Autodesk and other world class software companies, the institute is able to expose their students to the latest technological trends happening in the mechanical engineering space.    

Over the years, the Indonesian government has realized the scope international education to become a tool to improve the country’s economy and increase its international influence. The easing of international student visa requirements which makes it easier for foreign students to enroll in local educational institutions and the increasing tie-ups between Indonesian institutions with other international colleges and universities paint a clear picture which showcases the Indonesian government’s plan to make the country, a top-tier international study destination.