Sixty-three leading UK institutions participated in the Education UK Exhibition 2016 organized by the British Council at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta on March 12-13.

Young people flocked to the exhibition room on Saturday, many shouldering tote bags filled with pamphlets and brochures. They were in high spirits, attending seminars, listening to information given by representatives from a host of different institutions.'€œI came here to search for information about a Master degree. I haven'€™t figured out yet what major I will take and this exhibition makes it easier for me to gain more knowledge,'€ said 24-year-old Esty, one of the visitors.

Some 3,000 Indonesians are reportedly studying in the UK at present.

Another visitor, Martha, 24, has already been accepted at Cardiff University for a Master in Finance and she said she came to check on her application process at the university's booth.

'€œI chose the UK because it is a country that welcomes people from different backgrounds and cultures,'€ Martha said.

During the event, visitors could also hear about student-life experiences in the UK shared by members of the Association of Indonesian Students in the United Kingdom (PPIUK) or learn more about scholarships from the British government's global scholarship program, Chevening Scholarship, which also had a booth there.

'€œThis exhibition is one of our main events that is part of the UK education month that falls in March,'€ said British Council Country Director Sally Goggin during the opening ceremony on Saturday.

"Through this event we're aiming to give more Indonesian students access to UK education as well as bridging the connection between UK institutions and Indonesian students," she added.

British ambassador Moazzam Malik was also in attendance to highlight the benefits of studying in the UK.

'€œNot all countries get to be great at everything, but every country is great at something and one of the many things that the UK is great at is higher education, because our system is very open, we invite students from all over the world, we have lecturers, academics, scientists, researchers from all over the world and we have a long tradition of scholarship in our country," said Malik.

"The UK has a really fantastic offer for Indonesian students, but I also hope that British universities can partner with Indonesian universities so that we can not only educate Indonesia'€™s brightest and best, but also help Indonesia build world-class universities here at home,'€ he added.

The Education UK Exhibition 2016 also ran in Surabaya on March 15 and Medan on March 17. For more information, check out www.britishcouncil.id or connect with the British Council through Twitter (@idbritish) and Facebook (BritishCouncilIndonesia).

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