“My dream is to work at Boeing,” says 22-year-old student Adam Adiwinata at the European Higher Education Fair 2010, held at Kartika Expo Center, Balai Kartini, Jakarta. He has been thinking of studying in Europe since he attended the University of Indonesia (UI).

“The professors like to talk about how good the facilities and education systems in European countries are, and I am intrigued,” he says. After graduating from UI with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, he is planning to pursue his studies in Germany.

Europe has a worldwide reputation as a prestigious learning destination. In addition to academic excellence, reasonable tuition fees and daily costs, a wide variety of degree programs entice students and professionals into a dynamic and multinational study environment. A graduate student at Tarumanagara University in West Jakarta, Listiana Retta is currently studying architecture, but is hoping to one day study urban planning and business in Germany.

“I am going to take German language lessons in Indonesia in the near future,” she says. “I would love to live and work in Germany, and it would be great if I could set up a business as an architecture consultant,” she added.

After having the experience of staying in Japan for a few weeks as an exchange student, NGO staff member Chika Djati believes that studying abroad is a wonderful opportunity to broaden horizons.

“You will learn new language[s] and develop your personality by differentiating yourself, your culture, and other cultures,” she says. “You will also learn how to be tolerant and not to be judgmental by dealing with other people.”

However, pursuing studies in other countries may not always turn out to be fun. Students may face problems and difficulties in both learning and living in a different environment.

“The big challenges are coping with culture shock, homesickness, and changes in lifestyle, weather and food,” says Yanuar Kurniawan, the representative for HAN University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. “Students may also struggle to overcome language barriers, but living in a multicultural society is a chance to make new friends from around the world.”

Kurniawan studied for a master’s degree in automotive systems at the university and realized the difference between student learning styles in Indonesia and the constituent country. “Indonesian universities tend to offer theoretical courses, but the universities in the Netherlands do offer more practical courses.”

Heleen Harms-Tijssen, the course director of Rotterdam Business School, states Indonesia is a huge education market. In fact, numerous scholarships offered for students from Indonesia show how much potential the world’s fourth most populous country has in the market.

“Students will integrate international knowledge and skills, and many career opportunities will be open to them,” she says.

Harms-Tijssen emphasizes how important it is for future students to choose the right education program. “Consider what you aim for and want to gain, where and what to study, and get information about which higher education institution offers the best program for you.”

The European Higher Education Fair in Indonesia, held on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 9-10, 2010, was funded by the European Union (EU), participating higher education institutions and sponsoring companies. A total of around 70 European higher education institutions and national representatives of EU member states were represented. More than 10,000 visitors attended the two-day education fair.

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