Growth in students from Indonesia predicted

Massey University is now a "preferred provider" for the Indonesian Government, which plans to spend significant money over several years providing scholarships for students, tertiary teachers and public servants to study overseas.

Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey has just returned from five days in Indonesia where he signed agreements with the Directorate-General of Higher Education, the Ministry of Education and the Sampoerna Foundation in Jakarta, along with four major Indonesian universities in the cities of Bogor, Malang and Surabaya.

"Indonesia represents enormous potential for growth for New Zealand universities," Mr Maharey says. "It was the 20th largest market last year, representing just 1 per cent of the international students that study here. But with a population of around 237 million and a firm commitment from Jakarta to invest in its workforce, we anticipate considerably larger numbers than the 600 Indonesian students who came here in 2011. Many of them will be university-level teachers, who are being supported to complete additional qualifications."

Over the next five years the Indonesian Government, through the directorate-general, will provide scholarships for up to 10 PhD or master's students and Massey will provide up to 10 English language study awards for PhD students. The agreement also provides for developing academic activities and research co-operation between Massey and Indonesian universities.