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Text your say: Indonesian brain drain
Diaspora: Indonesian-born American businessman Sehat Sutardja (left), World Bank managing director Sri Mulyani (second left), then BNI president director Gatot Suwondo (center), then Indonesian ambassador to the US Dino Patti Djalal (second right) and Indonesian-born Australian property developer Iwan Sunito pose for a photograph at the second congress of the Indonesian Diaspora in Jakarta on Aug
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Diaspora: Indonesian-born American businessman Sehat Sutardja (left), World Bank managing director Sri Mulyani (second left), then BNI president director Gatot Suwondo (center), then Indonesian ambassador to the US Dino Patti Djalal (second right) and Indonesian-born Australian property developer Iwan Sunito pose for a photograph at the second congress of the Indonesian Diaspora in Jakarta on Aug. 20, 2013.(JP) (left), World Bank managing director Sri Mulyani (second left), then BNI president director Gatot Suwondo (center), then Indonesian ambassador to the US Dino Patti Djalal (second right) and Indonesian-born Australian property developer Iwan Sunito pose for a photograph at the second congress of the Indonesian Diaspora in Jakarta on Aug. 20, 2013.(JP)
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span class="inline inline-center">Diaspora: Indonesian-born American businessman Sehat Sutardja (left), World Bank managing director Sri Mulyani (second left), then BNI president director Gatot Suwondo (center), then Indonesian ambassador to the US Dino Patti Djalal (second right) and Indonesian-born Australian property developer Iwan Sunito pose for a photograph at the second congress of the Indonesian Diaspora in Jakarta on Aug. 20, 2013.(JP)
Your comments on the call made by former president and cofounder of the Indonesian Academy of
Sciences
(AIPI), BJ Habibie, to well-paid Indonesian scientists working abroad
to come home so they can help develop the country's rich natural
resources:
It's a good idea but the government must think over the salaries of these individuals based on their high qualifications.
Sinaga Harbili
During his tenure as Indonesian ambassador to the US, Dino Patti Djalal initiated two big events for the Indonesian diaspora, first in the US and the following year in Jakarta.
He tried to encourage Indonesians living abroad to give back to Indonesia, regardless of where they resided. I agree that more Indonesian scholars who are successful abroad do need to think about
developing Indonesia. However, Indonesia in return needs to also be prepared to have these scholars back when they do decide to come home.
Often, scholars that return do not feel welcome. Even if they do, they earn much less than abroad, which is a concern.
Brain drain will become a brain gain if we as a nation can increase our awareness of the Indonesian diaspora and encourage it to give back to the country.
There are many ways for Indonesians abroad to give back. If coming back to Indonesia is not an option, regardless of their reasons, providing access to other Indonesian scholars to study abroad will be a huge benefit.
The diaspora can also raise funding for scholarships so that students from low socio-economic backgrounds can get better access to quality education in Indonesia.
Dwi Yuliantoro
Yogyakarta
You can ask them to come back to Indonesia, but will they? No. Habibie was a good president, and lived in Germany before he retired and returned to Jakarta, but he doesn't set the best example as he should have stayed and worked in Indonesia, not Germany.
Angela
It would be far more useful to layout the fundamentals of how such a plan would be funded, the career path and formal links to other major educational institutions around the world and the rewards for coming home rather than issuing a cry in the darkness.
The reality is Indonesia has some very smart people abroad but it's a competitive market and nationalist shrills to come home only last so long when one has to put food on the table.
Why don't we start with something a bit simpler, like a dozen junior schools in each major city linked to a major overseas facility, with an international curriculum and independently audited?
Get that working, then senior schools, then universities.
Yes, it will take a generation but let's be honest since our remarkable literary achievements we have gone backward.
Rusty Nails
Dear Mr. Habibie, you were the greatest example of an Indonesian scientist. You were educated in Germany for a while and returned home. Then look what Indonesian politics did to you and also Sri Mulyani, another great Indonesian.
The biggest question should be addressed to Indonesia's politicians: Are you really ready to work with smart, honest and competent people?
Greg Daru
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