UT Holding Meetings with Education and Culture Attachés

In line the main mission of Indonesian Open University (UT) which provides the access and equal distribution of higher education for all Indonesian people, including those who live abroad, UT has established cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Memorandum of Understanding which was signed on 7 February 2012. As a realization of such cooperation, UT has annually-held coordination meetings with Education and Culture Attachés of the Republic of Indonesia, that were facilitated by Bureau of Planning and International Cooperation (PKLN), Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemdikbud) at Hotel GranDhika – South Jakarta, Thursday (14/02/2019). It is expected that this coordination will improve the services for the UT students and it also serves as the socialization efforts with regard to the existence of UT in providing access to higher education extensively to the people of Indonesia overseas.

The meeting was attended a number of invitees, namely: 17 Education and Culture Attachés (Washington DC, Paris, London, Den Haag, Berlin, Cairo, Riyadh, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Tokyo, Canberra, Port Moresby, Beijing, New Delhi, Singapore, and Dilli); Head of Bureau of Planning and International Cooperation (PKLN), Deputy Chairman for Placement of the Agency for Protection and Placement of Indonesian Migrant Workers National or BNP2TKI, Head of International Facilitation Division of Bureau of Planning and International Cooperation (PKLN). Meanwhile, from UT are present Rector of UT who was represented by Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Vice Rector of for Partnership and Institutional Development, All Deans of the Faculties or Schools as well as Graduate and Postgraduate Schools, Head of the Center for Overseas Student Management. The program was moderated by Dr. Sri Sediyaningsih, M.Si., Head of the Center for the Development of International Relations and Partnership. 

In his speech, Dr. Mohamad Yunus, S.S., M.A., as Vice Rector for Academic Affairs expressed his gratitude for the facilities provided by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) and the cooperation extended by the Education and Culture Attachés in order to improve the number of UT students overseas, especially Indonesian migrant workers. This is in line with the target set by Prof. H. Mohamad Nasir, Ph.D., Ak., Minister of Menteri Riset and Higher Education (Menristekdikti) to UT in order to meet the target of 1 million students and improve the Gross Enrollment Rate (GER). In the future, UT will open Hub Services for UT students at The Hague, the Netherlands in order to ease the migrant workers in Europe who wish to enroll UT.

Teguh Hendro Cahyono as Deputy Chairman for Placement of the Agency for Protection and Placement of Indonesian Migrant Workers National (BNP2TKI) said that around 1.8 million migrant workers who have the chance to enroll and become UT students. Dra. Dewi Artati Padmo Putri, M.A., Ph.D., Head of the Center for Overseas Students Management, at the Agency for Education Quality Development and Assurance said that UT is the extension of the government’s hand in providing Distance and Open Higher Education (PTTJJ) abroad, particularly for Indonesian migrant workers. Therefore, when they return to Indonesia, they can thrive and realize their potential skills and contribute to the development of state economy. Furthermore, Education and Culture Attachés also gave some suggestions and opinions for UT in the discussion forum.