Jakarta: Indonesia's Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology has expressed a commitment to enhance cooperation with China in vocational education and industry-academia collaboration. This initiative aims to support Indonesia's efforts in downstreaming and industrialization.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Deputy Minister Stella Christie highlighted the importance of aligning education with industry needs at the 2025 China-Indonesia Education-Industry Collaboration Summit in Jakarta. She emphasized that integrating vocational education with industry is crucial for developing human resources and boosting industrial competitiveness in Indonesia.
Christie noted that Indonesia is learning from China's successful model of vocational education integration. Existing partnerships involve adopting curricula from China's Jiangsu-based polytechnics for Indonesian institutions. Additionally, Indonesia encourages faculty to gain industry experience to better align teaching with real-world demands. Christie urged Chinese companies to support vocational institutions by providing training equipment and facilities, enabling students to learn with current workplace technologies.
She also introduced the "U+U+B" (University+University+Business) scheme, which includes collaboration between an Indonesian university, a Chinese university, and an enterprise. This model allows students to study in both countries and complete internships, preparing them for immediate entry into the workforce.
Ahmad Najib Burhani, the ministry's director general of science and technology, stressed the need to bridge the gap between academia and industry. He pointed out that innovations must move beyond laboratories to have a real impact, calling for an ecosystem that connects education with industrial needs. Burhani stated the ministry's intent to use the summit as a springboard for long-term collaboration in research, technology development, internships, and commercialization of research.
The summit was organized by Indonesia's Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.