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Deputy higher education minister under scrutiny after study tip session
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Second Deputy Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Stella Christie (center) waves as she stands next to Deputy Tourism Minister Ni Luh Enik Ernawati (right) and Second Deputy Home Minister Ribka Haluk (left) during the inauguration of deputy ministers for Prabowo's Red and White Cabinet at the State Palace in Jakarta on Oct. 21, 2024. President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated 56 deputy ministers on that day for the 2024-2029 period. (Antara Foto/Sigid Kurniawan)
S
econd Deputy Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Stella Christie has come in for public criticism after hosting a tip-sharing session on getting into foreign universities, a move seen by many as inappropriate given that she should be focused more on improving the quality of universities at home.
The newly established ministry streamed through its official YouTube channel on Tuesday a one and a half hour long video in which Stella, a Harvard graduate and also a professor at Tsinghua University in China, presented dozens of slides containing advice on how to study abroad.
Tips were shared on a wide array of issues from financial planning, college application essay writing, to customized strategies for entering Ivy League universities. Stella also frequently looked back at her experiences as both a student and a lecturer at top international universities.
“I was once you. If I can do it, so can you,” she emphasized at the beginning of her presentation.
The video swiftly drew a mixed public reaction, with some finding it useful, and others saying it was wrong for a high-ranking official at the higher education ministry to promote overseas education.
Among the most popular sentiments shared online was that the ministry should instead focus its energy on improving the quality of local universities and increasing their competitiveness globally.
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