Sources: Marci Ritter, 785-532-5644, mritter@k-state.edu;
Sue Maes, 785-532-5644, scmaes@k-state.edu;
and David Stewart, 785-532-5644, ads@k-state.edu
Friday, Nov. 11, 2011
Access education advances the U.S.-Indonesia comprehensive partnership through collaboration with Kansas State University and other U.S. institutions
MANHATTAN -- Two top administrators from Kansas State University's Division of Continuing Education are taking part in a visit to institutions of higher education in Indonesia as part of a comprehensive educational partnership between the U.S. and Indonesia.
ACCESS Education Beyond, an independent international higher education preparation and partnerships program initiated by the Putera Sampoerna Foundation, recently announced its collaboration with the Global Associates Knowledge Network, a consortium of senior U.S. higher education delegates -- including Kansas State University's Sue Maes and A. David Stewart -- to explore education and research program partnership opportunities with Indonesian institutions.
This collaboration fits with the goals of the Comprehensive Partnership on Higher Education announced by President Barack Obama and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last year. The partnership aims to harness the energies of the nongovernmental, public sectors in both countries in support of expanding bilateral programs in higher education. This includes helping build Indonesia's capacity to provide world-class university education.
"A year after the signing of the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership in November 2010, ACCESS Education strives to continue advancing its education goals through partnering with and hosting U.S. universities to enter or expand their benefits to Indonesia. Our collaboration with the Global Associates network is ACCESS Education's latest effort to advance the university partnerships component of the Comprehensive Partnership," said Brook W. Ross, director of ACCESS Education Beyond.
The Global Associates is a knowledge network of the University Professional and Continuing Education Association and is dedicated to identifying global higher education and training needs, fostering collaboration, sharing best practices and keeping its members abreast of developments in international education.
This visit to Indonesia is the latest in a series of exploratory overseas trips taken by Global Associates members every year. Along with Kansas State University's Maes, dean of the Division of Continuing Education, and Stewart, associate dean of the division, other universities represented include Brown University, California State University at Long Beach, George Washington University, La Salle University, University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Mississippi, San Diego State University and Syracuse University. The delegation is meeting and discussing partnerships with 13 top Indonesian universities.
The Global Associates network seeks to establish student and faculty exchange programs, study abroad and pathway programs, research collaborations and possibly joint and dual degree programs with Indonesian universities.
Additionally, the delegation is interested in discussing executive development programs, short-term technical certificates, highly focused and customized training programs for public and private sectors in Indonesia. Also of interest are fully online degree programs and English as a second language programs for Indonesian students.
The Global Associates identified Indonesia as a key country for academic partnership between the universities in the two countries, according to Jeet Joshee, Global Associates chair and vice president for international education at California State University at Long Beach.
"As Indonesia increases its focus in support of education allocating almost 20 percent of its federal budget, this is the right time to think about joint academic programs between universities in U.S. and Indonesia," Joshee said.
