Press Release: U.S. Higher Education Leaders Call for a “Comprehensive Re-Invigoration” of the U.S.-Indonesian Higher Education Relationship

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 29, 2010

CONTACT: Paul F. Hassen, APLU, (+1) 202-478-6073 or phassen@aplu.org

Joint U.S.-Indonesia Council for

Higher Education Partnership Established

WASHINGTON, DC and JAKARTA, INDONESIA (July 29, 2010) -- Five U.S. non-governmental organizations joined today with higher education leaders in Indonesia to establish a Joint U.S.-Indonesia Council for Higher Education Partnership.

The Council will work to enhance U.S.-Indonesia educational cooperation through initiatives which complement official programs and address key long-term areas of the educational relationship.

“2010 is the perfect time to re-invigorate educational relations between the U.S. and Indonesia,” said Ambassador David Merrill, President of the U.S.-Indonesia Society (USINDO). “The Council will directly engage the energies of people and organizations in both countries to diversify and enrich our joint educational activities, together with the important government programs being launched under the Comprehensive Partnership.”

The Joint U.S.-Indonesia Council will be bi-national, with U.S. and Indonesian co-chairs: Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A۰P۰L۰U), and Dr. Fasli Jalal, Indonesian Vice Minister of National Education. Each is in a key position to involve individuals and organizations in their country in a joint effort to address a broad range of topics in bilateral educational cooperation and generate support.

“Improving education relationships between U.S. and Indonesian institutions offers significant benefits for the people of both nations,” said McPherson. “Through educational exchanges and working side-by-side to solve our challenges, we can gain a better understanding of life in each nation. Working through the Joint Council will facilitate the growth and development of our educational relationships.”

U.S. organizations participating in the Joint U.S.-Indonesia Council include the U.S.-Indonesia Society (USINDO), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities A۰P۰L۰U), the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Institute of International Education (IIE), and the East-West Center. Other U.S. members of the Council are individuals, foundations and organizations committed to enhancing U.S.-Indonesia educational cooperation.

“I look forward to working through the Council with U.S. private, state, and land-grant universities, and community colleges, to encourage joint programs with our Indonesian public and private universities,” said the Council’s Indonesian Co-Chair, Fasli Jalal. “We want to make Indonesia attractive to U.S. students and faculty, and offer Indonesians greater contact with U.S. institutions, both in the U.S. and in Indonesia.”

The Council’s scope is to:

• Support the expansion of bilateral programs in higher education and advanced research. The Council will work closely with university organizations and individual universities and colleges in both countries;
• Identify and help resolve challenges that constrain the achievement of the partnership’s educational goals;
• Identify steps to enhance the capacity of institutions in each country to support exchanges of students, faculty and researchers, and create programs of study in new disciplines in Indonesia that would attract American students and faculty, whose presence is currently too low;
• Agree on joint science and technology research priorities and other areas of appeal to universities in both countries, and encourage voluntary partnerships in those areas;
• Help establish programs to build capacity of U.S. universities in Indonesian studies and Indonesian universities in American studies, including mobilizing funding;
• Examine ways to increase American investment to build the capacity of Indonesian institutions; and
• Help to mobilize resources for agreed priorities from all sources.

The Joint Council will begin preparation of a plan of action, working collaboratively with the planned government-led Education Working Group of the Joint Commission on the Comprehensive Partnership.

U.S. Core Member Organizations of the Council:

Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (www.aplu.org) is an association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems, founded 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.

The United States-Indonesia Society (www.usindo.org). The United States-Indonesia Society is dedicated to expanding mutual understanding between Indonesia and the United States, and strengthening the United States-Indonesia relationship. Indonesia is the world's third largest democracy and the fourth most populous country, yet most Americans know little about it. Education programs have proven to build the foundation of the bilateral relationship. USINDO is therefore working to involve universities, foundations, the private sector, and governments in enhancing educational exchanges and building institutional capacity in each country over the next decade.

American Association of Community Colleges (www.aaccnet.nche.edu) Founded in 1920 and headquartered in the National Center for Higher Education in Washington, D.C., the AACC is the leading proponent and international "voice of America’s community colleges." AACC represents almost 1,200 two-year, associate degree–granting institutions which enroll more than 13 million students. Community colleges are the largest and fastest-growing sector of U.S. higher education, enrolling over 43% of all U.S. undergraduates. AACC supports and promotes its member colleges through policy initiatives, innovative programs, research and information and strategic outreach to business and industry and the national news media. A nonprofit organization, AACC’s overriding mission is to "Build a Nation of Learners by Advancing America's Community Colleges."

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.

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

Press Release: U.S. Higher Education Leaders Call for a “Comprehensive Re-Invigoration” of the U.S.-Indonesian Higher Education Relationship

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.

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

For a PDF of the report, please click here.