VZCZCXRO4995
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0693/01 0980954
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 070954Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8578
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2275
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4878
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1761
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0686
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000693 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/PD, ECA/A 
USAID FOR EGAT/ED: GARY BITTNER AND MARTIN HEWITT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID OEXC ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - A PARTNER IN HIGHER EDUCATION 
 
REF: A. STATE 35374 
 
     ¶B. STATE 30029 
     ¶C. JAKARTA 582 
 
JAKARTA 00000693  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  Indonesia is a strong potential partner in 
achieving the Secretary's goal to expand both the role and 
impact of U.S. and foreign higher education partnerships in 
worldwide social and economic development.  Indonesia has 
made great progress politically and socially in the last 10 
years, but its education system lags behind.  At the Higher 
Education Summit for Global Development in Washington, DC, on 
April 29-30, Indonesia will be participating and eager to 
discuss the Secretary's education goals.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) The development of the human and institutional 
capacity concept paper (ref A) is well-timed. Indonesia is a 
place where there is much potential for private and public 
partnerships to improve education and stem the growing 
numbers of students who graduate without finding jobs. 
Indonesia's education index is lower than that of any of its 
neighbors, according to the U.N. Human Development Index 
report of 2006.  As summarized by a leading national 
newspaper, Suharto's educational legacy was one of quantity, 
not quality.  But government and private citizens and 
foundations are looking for ways to boost the education 
sector. 
 
¶3.  (U) The Secretary's first priority outcome for the Summit 
is to increase the number, kind and quality of strategic 
partnerships between U.S. universities and colleges, foreign 
universities, private sector partners and foundations that 
apply innovative models--particularly in science and 
technology, academia and business entrepreneurship and 
academic programs promoting economic development.  Indonesia 
is one place well worth the effort to increase U.S. 
educational partnerships.  Mission is involved in a variety 
of higher education programs and initiatives, including the 
flagship Fulbright U.S. and Indonesia scholarship program, 
community college and English immersion initiatives, and an 
expanding English Teaching Fellows program.  In addition, to 
attract more Indonesian students to the U.S., Mission has an 
active Educational Advising Service run by the binational 
Fulbright Commission.  Hopefully, one outcome of this 
conference would be for the Department and USAID to take a 
more active role in promoting linkages between U.S. 
institutions and foreign universities. 
 
¶4.  (U) The Summit also seeks to increase the number and type 
of exchanges between U.S. and foreign institutions. 
Indonesia's Fulbright is the largest it has ever been.  It 
includes some 23 programs and initiatives for two-way 
educational exchange.  A key focus is the Fulbright 
Presidential Scholarship Program, which is helping Indonesia 
increase the number of PhDs by sending about 30-40 doctoral 
students to the U.S. per year.  Last year the Fulbright 
commission awarded a total of 29 PhD scholarships to 
Indonesians between the regular program and the Presidential 
Scholarship initiative; this year the commission is offering 
a total of 43.  (Indonesia presently has only about 7,000 
doctorates.)  Fulbright has adjusted its programs to serve 
the needs of the 21st century, but there is a need to do even 
more to better cope with the new challenges and changes of 
our time.  For example, would new linkages be directed at 
increasing the number of doctorates in the country, or at 
increasing access to higher education for a wider target 
group of students?  Would new partnerships between 
institutions seek ways to use information and communications 
technology--not only to increase the quality of higher 
education, but to improve access to it for students residing 
in the farthest flung of Indonesia's 17,000 islands?  Would 
new linkages continue to, as some U.S. programs do already, 
target students from underserved populations? 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Mission invited presidents of three leading 
universities to the Summit, per ref B.  Mission encourages 
the U.S. participants at the Summit to engage the Indonesian 
participants on the two key goals of institutional 
partnership and exchanges.  The invitees' details follow. 
 
-- Prof. DR. Djoko Santoso 
      Rector 
      Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) 
      Jl. Taman Sari No. 64 
      Bandung 40116 
 
JAKARTA 00000693  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
      Indonesia 
      Phone: 62-022-423-1792 or 62-022-250-8517 
      Fax: 62-022-423-1792 
      Email: dsantoso@itb.ac.id; upik@pusat.itb.ac.id 
 
-- Prof. Sudjarwadi 
      Rector 
      Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) 
      Gedung Pusat UGM Lt. 2, Sayap Utara 
      Bulak Sumur 
      Jogyakarta 55281 
      Indonesia 
      Phone: 62-0274-563-974 or 62-0274-649-1833 or 
62-0274-562011 
      Fax: 62-0274-52810 or 62-0274-565223 
      Email: rector@ugm.ac.id or head-oia@ugm.ac.id 
 
-- Prof. DR. Der Soz Kumila Rusliwa Somantri 
      Rector 
      Universitas Indonesia (UI) 
      Gedung Pusat Administrasi 
      Kampus UI Depok 14624 
      Jawa Barat 
      Indonesia 
      Phone: 62-021-727-0020 
      Fax: 62-0271-727-0017 
      Email: rektor@ui.edu; eo-ui@ui.edu 
 
HUME