Number 18 | June 2007 |

Indonesia
Indonesia is the worlds fourth largest country with a population of over 220 million. The economy has strengthened and GDP growth is around 5.6% 1 . Australia remains the preferred study destination for Indonesian students, holding approximately one-third of market share. There has been a shift in the Indonesian market in 2006, turning around several years of slowdown. The prospects for 2007 are positive, but much will depend on how Australian institutions engage with the market. Commencements by Sector, 2002 to 2006 Latest Department of Immigration and Citizenship student visa data 5,000 show that the Indonesian market is turning towards positive growth. Student visa grants increased by 14% in 2006. In raw numbers, this 4,500 was an increase of over 600 students. For the period January to 4,000 April 2007, student visa grants were up 1.3% over the same period 3,500 in 2006. The five largest source markets are Jakarta, East Java (Surabaya), West Java, Banten and North Sumatra. Strongest 3,000 market growth outside Java in 2006 has been in West Kalimantan 2,500 (88.2%), North Sumatra (38.1%) and Bali (30.6%).
2,000

Many students undertake an Australian degree because they consider that they will have a competitive edge in the labour market. Australian degrees are highly valued in this regard by Indonesian businesses, particularly multinationals, who regularly recruit alumni using AEIs services.

1,500 1,000 500 0 Higher Education VET ELICOS Schools Other

The decision by many Australian institutions not to maintain a 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 marketing presence in Indonesia in recent years has made it difficult for Australia to maintain its previously strong position. Many agents indicate that lack of support and visits from Australian institutions has hampered their ability to promote Australian education. Institutions active in Indonesia report positive growth with 5 to 10% increase in numbers for large universities and between 25 to 50% for some regional universities. There has been a renewed interest in Indonesia in recent months with increased and more regular visits by Australian institutions. There have been positive changes to the visa assessment levels for Indonesia. From May 2007, Indonesia has a visa assessment level of two (2) for all sectors, and growth is expected in the ELICOS and VET sectors. AEI data show Indonesia is the 10th largest source country of international students for Australia. In 2006 there were 6,624 student commencements from Indonesia, a decrease of 1.5% compared to 2005. Higher Education (HE) Of Australias source markets, Indonesia is ranked fifth in student commencements in 2006; 45% of commencements were in HE. 70% of commencements were at the Bachelor level, with popular fields of study being Business Administration, Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, Art, Humanities, Social Science, Engineering, Surveying (accounting for 70% of all commencements in Bachelor programmes). Commencements in Nursing grew 87.5% in 2006. This was due to strong promotion from Australian universities offering such programmes as well as Australias migration regime. Growth was also recorded in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (12.3%); and Medical Science and Medicine (97%). Commencements growth was also in Physical Sciences; Life Sciences; and Mathematics, albeit from small bases. New South Wales with a growth of 9.5% on the previous year, had more commencements than any other state or territory, and accounted for 42% for Indonesian commencements in Higher Education. Meanwhile, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) accounted for highest growth (19.2%) in 2006. Vocational Education and Training (VET) Indonesian commencements for VET ranked number eight in 2006, growing 6% on the previous year. Business Administration, Management accounted for almost 40% of Indonesian student commencements while Services, Hospitality, Transport accounted for 30%. Commencements in Services, Hospitality, Transport grew 51% on 2005, accounting for most of the rise in the sector. Engineering, Surveying, Education, and Architecture, Building also recorded some growth from smaller bases. 60% of commencements were at Diploma level and 21% were at the Advanced Diploma level. English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS 2 ) ELICOS commencements for 2006 increased by 3% over the previous year. About 72% of all Indonesian ELICOS commencements are with private providers. Schools Indonesia ranked number 10 for enrolments in 2006. Commencements declined 9% on 2005; 93% were at Secondary School level.
1 2

World Bank Quick Reference Table http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GDP.pdf ELICOS students in Australia on a student visa only. A 2005 English Australia survey found that about half of all ELICOS students in Australia are on a student visa. For further information about this snapshot or the international education market in Indonesia, contact Mr Shannon Smith, Counsellor Education, Science and Training, Jakarta at shannon.smith@aei.gov.au, or consult AEI Online https://aei.dest.gov.au/AEI/MIP/CurrentMarketInformation/ByCountry/default.htm