"We have established communication with Georgetown University for the past year. This university is the birthplace of leaders in many countries with its qualified governance policy education," the ministry's acting director general of higher education, research, and technology, Professor Nizam, informed.
According to him, the collaboration is part of the government's effort to bring world-class education to Indonesia and to bring national education on par with international standards.
Besides Georgetown University, several other international universities, including Monash College, Deakin University, and Lancaster University, are planning to open branches in Indonesia, he said.
The opening of international university campuses could prevent Indonesia from losing foreign exchange due to the large number of Indonesian students studying abroad, he added.
"We have hundreds of thousands of students abroad. Our foreign exchange losses are very high. Therefore, we are trying to bring those world-class universities to Indonesia," Nizam explained.
He said that the ministry will only allow the best study programs from Georgetown University to be taught in Indonesia, such as study programs on government policy and politics.
Furthermore, he informed that the Georgetown campus would most likely be located around the Jakarta area. However, the option of opening a campus in the new capital (IKN) Nusantara has been offered to the university.
Earlier, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) visited and gave a talk at Georgetown University in the US on November 13, 2023. He also approved the plan for Georgetown opening a campus in Indonesia.
"Hopefully, the progress will be on track," he said.
According to him, education is one of Indonesia's priorities because the country will experience a demographic bonus in the 2030s. Therefore, the quality of human resources will determine the country's future.
"I hope that in the future, graduates of Georgetown University in Indonesia will be able to become president, like one of Georgetown University graduates — Bill Clinton," he said.
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Translator: Sean Muhamad, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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