fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
4th Apr 2018

Indonesia prepared to welcome foreign universities

Indonesia has a long-running, on-again-off-again strategy to open up its higher education system to foreign providers. The legislation that provides for such foreign participation in higher education delivery in the country has been on the books since 2012, but the government has been reluctant in the years since to formally open the process. It appears, however, that the tide is changing in recent months. In November, President Joko Widodo expressed his interest in having foreign institutions open new campuses in Indonesia in order to provide an important reference point for strengthening the country’s own universities. And following on from this, Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir held a press conference in January at which he announced Indonesia would indeed welcome foreign providers later this year. Minister Nasir told the press conference that, “At least five or ten foreign universities are targeted to operate in the middle of this year.” The Minister singled out the University of Cambridge, University of Melbourne, and CQUniversity Australia as institutions that had already expressed interest. The Minister also indicated science, technology, engineering, mathematics, business and management as priority subject areas. Public pronouncements on this issue tend to be made cautiously in Indonesia, and any discussion of foreign unis setting up shop is always accompanied by two important qualifiers: the foreign institution will be expected to find a local private-sector partner and to prioritise the hiring of local faculty. All education institutions are also required to devote a portion of their curricula to teaching Indonesian culture, including religious and Islamic values. In addition, the government is generally clear that any invitation to operate in Indonesia will only be extended to top-ranked institutions. “We give the chance for foreign higher learning institutions, especially world-class universities, to operate in Indonesia," said the Minister.

Arguments for and against

But if Indonesia’s politicians have been cautious on this question, it has perhaps been with good reason as the prospect of opening up the country’s higher education system has provoked a lively debate. Proponents of the move argue that allowing foreign institutions to operate in Indonesia will not only boost local higher education capacity, but also encourage greater numbers of Indonesian students to study at home. Those in favour anticipate as well that highly ranked foreign providers will be an important spark for strengthening Indonesian institutions. Those opposed argue that local institutions, public and private, will struggle to compete with foreign providers and that the end result will be a hollowing out of the domestic system. With these questions still very much in play it seems likely that the government has set an overly ambitious schedule for the country’s first partnerships with foreign providers. This is especially so as observers outside of Indonesia wonder over the details about such partnerships, including the need for top foreign institutions to form up with local private-sector partnerships, the legislated restrictions on for-profit operations in the country’s education sector, and the requirements around Islamic cultural content. As of today, Minister Nasir has not yet followed up on his January press conference with a formal decree concerning foreign university operations in Indonesia. But the timing of any further announcements may also be influenced by the progress of ongoing Australia-Indonesia free trade negotiation, which are ongoing at the moment and in which foreign educator operations in Indonesia have figured to date. For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • How have changes in policy settings impacted international student recruitment at Australian universities? Read More
  • ICEF Podcast: Together for transparency – Building global standards for ethical international student recruitment Read More
  • New analysis sounds a note of caution for UK immigration reforms Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

How have changes in policy settings impacted international student recruitment at Australian universities? Over the past couple of years, Australian universities have been operating within a policy framework that makes it...
Read more
ICEF Podcast: Together for transparency – Building global standards for ethical international student recruitment Listen in as ICEF’s Craig Riggs and Martijn van de Veen recap some of the latest news and...
Read more
New analysis sounds a note of caution for UK immigration reforms Within the UK’s higher education system, there are a group of institutions known as “Post-1992 universities”. The term...
Read more
The number of students in higher education abroad has more than tripled since the turn of the century The latest figures from UNESCO indicate continued strong growth in higher education enrolments globally. From the year 2000,...
Read more
US warns of expanded travel ban that could affect key African markets “The United States is considering restricting entry to citizens of an additional 36 countries in what would be...
Read more
Breaking: US resumes student visa processing On 18 June, the US State Department sent a cable to all US diplomatic posts abroad instructing them...
Read more
Is Canada valued more as a “pathway to immigration” or as a destination for education? During a 12 June 2025 webinar presented by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) and IDP, IDP...
Read more
Japanese outbound numbers reached 90% of pre-pandemic levels in 2024 An annual survey of Japanese education agents finds that outbound student numbers from this key sending market are...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links