For Immediate Release
Press Release
JAKARTA – Today, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Deputy Mission Director Mohib Ahmed and Ministry of Education Culture, Research and Technology Acting Director General of Higher Education Professor Nizam launched the five-year, $6 million Higher Education Partnership Initiative (USAID HEPI). USAID is partnering with Arizona State University (ASU) to strengthen higher education in Indonesia and increase partnerships between universities and higher education institutions in Indonesia and the United States.
“The United States supports the Government of Indonesia’s efforts to develop the skills of Indonesian students to meet today’s industry demands,” said USAID Indonesia Acting Deputy Mission Director Mohib Ahmed. “Through high-quality higher education programs, Indonesian students will be able to gain the skills they need to keep up with advancing technology, secure meaningful employment, and contribute to Indonesia’s economic growth and prosperity.”
USAID HEPI supports a consortium of U.S. and Indonesian universities as well as government and industry partners working to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs in Indonesia. The program will build industry-linked curricula and student experiential learning, help students learn about and apply to suitable international degree programs, and provide information on Ministry of Education scholarship programs and opportunities. It will also encourage engagement between faculty from the United States and Indonesia and increase international recognition of Indonesian higher education programs. In addition, the program will promote partnerships between universities and companies to increase student employability.
“The USAID HEPI project aligns well with “Kampus Merdeka” to increase the quality and international recognition of Indonesian university programs and students’ work readiness through partnerships with industry and American university partnerships,” said Professor Nizam, acting Director General of Higher Education Research and Technology at the Ministry of Education.
“Arizona State University is excited to be the implementing partner to build a high-impact project fostering many innovative partnerships and programming between U.S. and Indonesian universities, government and industry partners,” said Jeffrey Goss, Associate Vice Provost for Southeast Asia at Arizona State University.
USAID HEPI will work with Bina Nusantara and Hasanuddin Universities to establish teaching and learning hubs, with an additional affiliate of 21 universities. In partnership with the United States–Indonesia Society, USAID will also establish “student launchpads” — advising centers to prepare students for U.S. academic programs at partner universities.
USAID HEPI will work to increase the quality and recognition of STEM programs at Indonesian institutions in connection with international partners, especially in the United States. Indonesian universities and students can access the Ministry of Education’s international scholarship program (LPDP) to help students apply for study overseas. Arizona State University is already registered in the LPDP university list and plans to support the Ministry of Education in expanding the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards program to more U.S. universities in 2023.
For more information, visit https://www.usaid.gov/indonesia or contact USAID Communications Specialist Swiny Andina at +62 (21) 5083-1000 or sandina@usaid.gov.
