IDNAround – Indonesian Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim explored collaboration opportunities with a number of the world’s top universities in the United States, in a bid to improve the educational sector in Indonesia.
“Kemendikbudristek’s (Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry’s) attempts to explore opportunities for collaboration with the world’s top (educational) institutions or universities prove our seriousness in transforming Indonesia’s higher education,” he said in a statement here on Thursday.
Makarim’s visit had two aims, including to affirm Indonesia’s leadership in transforming the education system by implementing various breakthroughs, such as the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (Freedom in Learning and Campus or MBKM) Program.
The second aim was to encourage cooperation, among others, in the higher education sector with a number of universities, as well as in the cultural sector with several research institutions and museums.
The minister had met a number of leaders of the world’s top colleges, namely the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Northeastern University, Harvard University, and Georgetown University.
At MIT, the minister met with the President of MIT, Leo Rafael Reif, and his staff.
Reif has lauded the educational transformation which is taking place in Indonesia. He has also said that his staff is ready to collaborate with the Indonesian Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry to solve the most important educational issues in Indonesia.
“I learned a lot from one of the best engineering education institutions in the world, namely MIT, especially in their attempts to conduct research, transformation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Those attempts are also being implemented in Indonesia,” Makarim noted.
Furthermore, he presented the implementation of the MBKM Program to officials at Northeastern University.
Executive Vice Provos of Northeastern University Thomas Sheahan praised the Indonesian government for encouraging students to join the program.
He noted that Northeastern University had implemented an entrepreneurial program which had the same spirit as the MBKM Program since 1890.
Hence, Sheahan has supported the vision of the Indonesian minister in carrying out the MBKM Program.
Meanwhile, at Harvard University, Makarim met with a number of professors from the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, as well as the Executive Director of the Harvard Center for International Development to exchange ideas.
The minister has noted that his party will send 150 informatics teachers to study asymmetric learning at Harvard University’s CS50 program.
“I really hope that in the future more teachers will graduate from this program and be able to share their knowledge with other teachers,” he stated.
In addition, Makarim concluded his visit at Harvard University by delivering a public lecture at the Harvard Business School.
Also, he held a meeting with Georgetown University to discuss potential cooperation on September 22, 2022.
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