Delegates from US universities in town despite bombings

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 07/31/2009 1:45 PM  |  National

The July 17 bombing of two hotels has not deterred a delegation of American educators from seeking out future cooperation programs with Indonesia.

"In my opinion, the bomb attackers did the attack because they did not have opportunity to get jobs," president of the United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO), David Merrill, said Thursday.

"Education is an important part of giving people a chance to get a job and we are here to stress that fact."

The American delegates arrived on Wednesday and will visit universities in Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Surakarta and Yogyakarta to talk with leaders of the universities to plan cooperation programs.

Merril said that education was a way for people from both countries to understand one another.

"During the bad times of Indonesia-US relations, Indonesian officials who had received education in the US helped us to understand each other," he said.

Merril added that he hoped Americans educated in Indonesia could do the same.

Therefore, USINDO is trying to double the number of Indonesians studying in the US, currently some 7,700 people, and the number of Americans studying here, currently 130 people, by 2014, he said.

Anis Baswedan, rector of Paramadina University, said that American students learning in Indonesia could also promote the country.

"Positive stories about Indonesia are more powerful if being told by Americans," he said.

Merril said Indonesia is a country largely unknown in the US.

"Most American cannot find Indonesia on the map," he said.

"However, since Barack Obama became US President, there has been a growing interest to understand Indonesia."

Gregory L. Geoffroy, President of Iowa State University, said that Americans could no longer afford not to understand Indonesia.

"Indonesia is an important country that is going to become much more important in the future."

Despite the importance of Indonesia, security concerns have prevented many Americans from studying in the country.

"The previous travel ban for Americans wanting to come to Indonesia has hindered many students who want to come here," said Veronica Taylor, a representative from the University of Washington.

"There are also parents who thought that Indonesia is not a safe country."

Eric Bost, a representative from Texas A & M University, said he believed the Indonesian government had done a great job responding to the recent bombings.

"One of the best moves the government has made is allowing the two hotels to operate as soon as possible," he said.

It shows that the country is not going to let the attack hamper normal activities," he said. (mrs)

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