TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesia is strengthening its educational and research diplomacy in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific by increasing scholarship, training, and capacity-building opportunities with several friendly countries.
As reported by ANTARA, the Office of the Education and Culture Attache at the Indonesian Embassy in Dili and Manila carried out this step, which was presented in the RI-UNESCO Education and Culture Attache & Deputy Deputies Webinar Series forum.
In a joint press release from the Indonesian Embassies in Dili and Manila received on Sunday, the Education and Culture Attache of the Indonesian Embassy in Dili, Tasrifin Tahara, said that relations between Indonesia and Timor-Leste are now focused on concrete programs that directly impact the community.
One of the main initiatives was establishing a special class at the Faculty of Medicine for students from Timor-Leste and developing a vocational sister school program to support the development of the country’s human resources.
Tasrifin added that Indonesia remains a favorite destination for Timor-Leste students through various scholarship schemes, including the Developing Countries Partnership (KNB), Indonesian AID, and assistance from universities.
“By 2025, there will be 350 scholarship recipients from Timor-Leste studying in Indonesia,” he said. He said that currently, around 1,800 Timorese students are studying at various campuses in Indonesia, from Aceh to Papua.
“Often, the success of international cooperation is determined by personal relationships. Diplomacy at the dinner table is sometimes more effective than formal meetings,” said Tasrifin.
Meanwhile, the Education and Cultural Attache of the Indonesian Embassy in Manila, Nina Yulianti, said that her office is currently mapping the education system in Palau and the Marshall Islands to explore new opportunities for cooperation.
According to him, Indonesia offers the Indonesian AID Scholarship program for young people in both countries to improve human resource capacity. Other potential collaborations include cultural exchanges, scholarships for Pacific students to universities in Indonesia, and collaboration in preserving Austronesian languages.
The synergy between the Indonesian Embassy in Dili and Manila is said to reflect the country’s commitment to expanding the role of education as an instrument of soft diplomacy in the region.
According to UNESCO data, as many as 59,000 Indonesian students will study abroad in 2024. At the same time, Indonesia is increasingly becoming a study destination, especially for developing countries in the Asia Pacific region.
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