Jakarta – Monash University, one of the highest-ranked universities in Australia, has acquired a license from the Education and Culture Ministry and plans to open Indonesia's first international, foreign-owned university in Green Office Park 9, BSD City in the outskirts of Jakarta next year.
"Monash University's Indonesia campus, opening in 2021, will further expand our international presence, creating additional global research collaborations, advanced professional development for graduates, and opportunities for collaboration with industry," Margaret Gardner, Monash University's president and vice-chancellor, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Indonesia's campus would be the latest addition to Monash's teaching location network, including Australia, Italy, Malaysia, China, and India.
The BSD City campus would operate under Yayasan Monash University Indonesia, a locally listed foundation known as Monash Indonesia. It would open recruitment for academics and professional positions soon. Monash set the intake for its master's programs in Indonesia in October next year.
Michael Widjaja, the chief executive officer of Sinar Mas Land, a company that develops BSD City, said he felt honored to welcome the environmentally-friendly and digitally-advanced campus in BSD City.
"We are honored and support Monash University as the first foreign university in Indonesia, which certainly makes it possible for Indonesian students to access a world-class education," Michael said.
The campus would offer research-intensive postgraduate programs for master and PhD degrees and executive programs, and micro-credentials. Monash identified data science, digital technology, infrastructure, urban design, creative industry, entrepreneurship, public policy, and public health as blossoming areas with high demand in Indonesia.
The university would also build upon existing research collaboration with Indonesia, including the Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments (RISE) program, which tackles a water and sanitation project in Makassar, South Sulawesi, and the World Mosquito Program (WMP) that includes a three-year dengue study in Yogyakarta.
"The mission of Monash Indonesia is to contribute strongly to the further social, economic and technological development of Indonesia," Andrew MacIntyre, the senior pro-vice-chancellor for Southeast Asia partnerships at Monash University, said in the statement.
Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim said Indonesia welcomed the Monash campus.
"Strengthening the Indonesian education system is of high priority to all in Indonesia, and a Monash campus will support and accelerate this. It will also continue the work we are doing with Australia in broadening our social, economic, and technological links," Nadiem said.
Monash University ranked 55th in the QS Global World Ranking 2021, up from 58th in the previous ranking.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/monash-to-open-indonesias-first-foreignowned-campus-in-bsd-cit