Challenges and Opportunities to Internationalize the Indonesian Higher Education Sector

Abstract

The higher education (HE) system in Indonesia is complex and fragmented, with 4.5 thousand universities offering over 25 thousand majors. The system includes public and private universities, institutes, schools of higher learning, academies, community colleges, and polytechnics. Despite growth in institutions and enrolments, the country’s higher education institutions rank low across global rating indicators. The major weaknesses within the higher education sector include the absence of consistent academic quality standards, inconsistent certification, accreditation, supervision, and monitoring processes, an absence of postgraduate-trained staff, and limited research output in recognized international journals. Programs are not linked to workforce skill requirements and graduate unemployment and underemployment rates are high. The word “Internationalization” for Indonesian higher education practically means to “go international” in every aspect of higher education including its education quality and standards, staffing, research, and graduates. The Indonesian government has given priority to the internationalization of universities that includes the goal that universities improve their competitiveness and quality so that they effectively compete globally for staff, students, and research funding. To internationalize, Indonesian universities will have to improve quality across staffing, programs, teaching, and research.