Witnessed by representatives of a number of Irish universities travelling in the region, the agreement is for five years and the IUA hopes to see over 300 students progress through the program.

“Indonesia…is a valuable partner for higher education institutions”

The agreement follows on from the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in higher education and research signed by the MoRTHE with the Department of Education and Skills in Ireland in September 2018.

There are over 4,000 public and private universities in Indonesia, and the MoRTHE is investing in the development and training of lecturers to improve the quality of its higher education offering.

Overseas PhD placements are an option for lecturers who meet the requirements of the MoRTHE, including an English language IELTS score of 6.0, and a permanent lecturing position at one of the Indonesian universities.

Since 2008, the MoRTHE has sent over 2,000 lecturers abroad to undertake PhD doctoral training.

Speaking from Jakarta, head of International Affairs and External Engagement at the IUA Sinéad Lucey said the association is looking forward to developing the relationship between Irish and Indonesian universities.

“Indonesia is the largest country in the ASEAN and a valuable partner for higher education institutions,” she said.

“The support of Education in Ireland and the embassy in Jakarta has been so important in this process. Ireland is a small country [but] when the agencies collaborate effectively, it equals success.

Lucey said that a delegation from the ministry had visited all seven IUA member universities in January 2019 and were “highly impressed” at the PhD offering in Ireland.

“I hope that the IUA partnership with the ministry is a stepping stone to a long-standing mutually beneficial relationship that will lead to high-quality internationalisation in both systems,” she added.