Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s “new kid on the block” for TNE

Indonesia is a “new kid on the block” when it comes to TNE compared to more “mature” regional markets such as Singapore and Malaysia, explained Summer Xia, British Council country director for Indonesia and director South East Asia.

Nevertheless, the country is hungry for UK-style education delivered in-country, he exclusively told The PIE News at British Council’s East Asia Education Week, held in Indonesia’s BDG City and Jakarta this week.

Xia noted that Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, is home to more than 17,000 islands, has a population of about 287 million, and is the only G20 economy in Southeast Asia.

He told The PIE that there is a “strong brand recognition” of the UK in Indonesia, with its reputation spreading through word of mouth. Indonesians who have studied in the UK will recount their positive experiences to friends, family and colleagues, creating an appetite for engaging with and studying in the UK.

TNE opportunities in the country look ripe for the picking, with Indonesia’s President Prabawo Subianto setting out an ambition to open a slew of new international branch campuses following the announcement of a newly published UK-Indonesian bilateral strategy.

The country would like to see some 10 UK branch campuses open over the next few years, with a particular focus on STEM and medical programs, Subianto told a group of 18 UK vice-chancellors and pro-vice chancellors from Russell Group universities during a two-hour roundtable last month.

The roundtable formed part of the Indonesian President’s visit to the UK in January, holding high-level meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as well as top universities.

It comes just after the publication of the UK’s revamped international education strategy (IES), which named Indonesia as a key destination for UK TNE partnerships.

The UK’s international education champion Sir Steve Smith – who spearheaded the new IES – told The PIE that the UK was eyeing Indonesia as a major target for TNE partnerships because of the sheer scale of opportunities it presented – down to its vast population and a government showing interest in TNE.

“I think it’s just one of those things whereby it’s the right timing, where you’ve got a government that sees TNE as a route to building capacity,” he said.

“TNE is what governments want. They want UK-quality education, but they want it available for the masses,” he added.

There’s just as much that UK students can learn from Indonesia as vice versa
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Despite keen interest in Indonesian TNE from top UK universities, Sir Steve acknowledged that setting up a presence in the country was not a way to get rich quick.

“UK institutions will not be coming to Indonesia to make money. [But] you’re certainly not going to come to Indonesia to lose money,” he said. Sir Steve added it was up to his department, alongside organisations like the British Council, to “make sure that the business model stacks up” as well as making sure that partners from all sides can “get what they want” out of TNE deals.

Xia said that partnerships could help cater to Indonesia’s need for digital transformation, student mobility and research collaboration – also opening up opportunities for UK institutions and students looking for Indonesian study opportunities through the Turing or Erasmus+ programs.

“There’s just as much that UK students can learn from Indonesia as vice versa,” he said.

“This is a country whose economy will continue to grow and eventually take over the UK,” he suggested. “It’s really important for us to build that Indonesian literacy in the UK among the future generation so that we know how to engage effectively with such an important global player.”

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