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Govt to promote RI language use in Oz
The government is hoping that the Indonesian language will be more widely learned in Australia to strengthen ties between the two countries
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he government is hoping that the Indonesian language will be more widely learned in Australia to strengthen ties between the two countries.
Culture and Education Minister Anies Baswedan said on Tuesday that the Indonesian government hoped to promote the Indonesian language to reach more people in Australia, following a closed-door meeting with Australia's first Tourism and International Education Minister Richard Colbeck.
'[During the meeting] I also expressed our hopes for more cooperation in relation to the Indonesian language so that it can be used more widely by our friends in Australia,' he said at the ministry's headquarters in South Jakarta.
However, Anies noted that although Indonesia would like to promote their language more widely to one of its closest neighbors, details were yet to be discussed and would most likely be an agenda item at future meetings.
Although Anies was optimistic, the Australian Financial Review noted that interest in Indonesian studies have plummeted in recent years in Australia. The article, published on Oct. 30, noted that enrolments in university Indonesian language programs dropped by 37 percent between 2001 and 2009 and had not grown since. Furthermore, both the University of New South Wales and the University of Southern Queensland have stopped teaching Indonesian in recent years.
Colbeck, who is also the minister assisting the Trade and Investment Minister, explained that despite the drop in numbers it was the role of both governments to demonstrate their close ties in order to increase demand for Indonesian-language speakers in Australia.
'In the context of the Indonesian language, it is true that we did talk about that and I think a really important element in that space is the stance we take as nations and our role as political and community leaders. I think that we both feel that taking a strong stance and demonstrating the warmth and strength, but also the importance, of our relationship will play a significant role in that space,' he said.
'Part of our role is to drive demand for those services, rather than just leaving it for various schools or otherwise to take it up. I think that's probably something that we need to work on together and develop over time. I don't think that it's something that is instantaneous that will happen just because the government said you should or shouldn't do that.'
Colbeck also hoped that the New Colombo Plan, which was launched last year and aims to send thousands of young Australians to study or do internships abroad in Asia, would cement relations between Indonesia and Australia even further.
'['¦] also with the development recently of the New Colombo Plan where Australians come out to other countries to study but also [have] cultural experiences is another way to continue to deepen the strength of our relationship. [Based on] conversations with our students who have returned from Indonesia, in particular, they have had a wonderful experience and that is probably one of the reasons why Indonesia is one of the most popular destinations for the New Colombo Plan,' he said.
According to Colbeck, there are around 2,000 students who will student in Indonesian universities 'in the first few years'.
Anies also expressed his appreciation for the Australian government's involvement in education-based research, including the Education Sector Analytical and Capacity Development Partnership (ACDP), which he said contributed to the improvement of education quality and hoped would continue into the future.
