SOFT POWER DIPLOMACY AND PEOPLE TO PEOPLE CONTACT FOR ELEMENTARY, SECONDARY AND HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL

BETWEEN INDONESIA-THAILAND, 2008 – 2012

 By

Prof. Dr. sc.agr. Ir. H. Didik Sulistyanto,

Education and Culture Attache, Republic Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand

The cooperation in the field of education between Indonesia and Thailand has been established for a long time. On May 14, 2008, the Education and Culture Attache has been assigned to work at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia for the Kingdom of Thailand. Since May 15, 2008, many educational activities that has been made by the Education and Culture Attache, related to the cooperation in the field of education during the month of May 2008 until May 2012, or 4 (four) years, as follow:

(1)  The First School Partnership Workshop for Lower Secondary School, Higher Secondary School, and Vocational School between Indonesia and Thailand, OBEC Thailand, SEAMEO SEAMOLEC, in Bangkok, November 27-29, 2008

The educational cooperation for the lower and higher secondary level between Indonesia and Thailand is developing rapidly, as well as the cooperation between the principles of international standard schools of Indonesia and Thailand.

The purpose of this workshop is to (1) pioneering the Sister School between the Lower secondary, higher secondary, and vocational school of Indonesia and Thailand, (2) improving the quality of education and teaching methods, (3) improving the teacher’s ability in research and teaching, and (4) technology and knowledge sharing between both countries.

This activity was hosted by SEAMEO SEAMOLEC Jakarta together with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia for the Kingdom of Thailand, and attended by 25 principals from Indonesia and 25 principals from Thailand, with details of 10 principals from Higher Secondary School, 5 principals from Vocational Schools, and 5 principals from Lower Secondary School.

(2)  Southeast Asian School Principal Forum (SEA SPF), Between Indonesia and Thailand,On June 16-20, 2008, Education and Culture Attache along with the Southeast Asian School Principal Forum (SEA SPF) team, from the Directorate General of PMPTK, Directorate General of Educational Resources, Department of Education and Culture, will host the first SEA SPF Congress on August 2008 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The team consisted of (1) Dr. Djoko Suprapto, (2) Mr. Subahi Idris, (3) Mrs. Raden Rara Sutaris, and (4) School Principals from Jakarta. During the team visit in Thailand for the meeting, the Education and Culture Attache has facilitate and arranged, also participate in every meeting as follow:

(3)  A total of more than 150 ACTIVE and SUSTAINABLE MoU between the Elementary, Lower Secondary, and Higher Secondary School from Indonesia with the Schools and Colleges in Thailand,

(4)  The agreement between the Ministry of Education Thailand and the Ministry of Education and Culture Indonesia for educational cooperation has been declared in the MoU signed at the SEAMEC Conference in Brunei Darussalam on January 2011,

(5)  150 schools from Indonesia and Thailand has signed MoU between the year of 2008 until 2012, and the Elementary Schools, Secondary Schools, and Vocational Schools of both countries has actively implementing the MoU which has been agreed by both sides since 2008 with activities as follow: (1) Teacher and student exchange. (ii) culture exchange, (iii) distance learning for certain subjects, (iv) workshops and seminars between Thailand and Indonesia, (v) ASEAN Community 2015 preparation, (vi) Joint Camping between the Vocational School from Indonesia with the College in Thailand, (vii) Indonesian Language study for the schools in Thailand, and Thai Language study for the schools in Indonesia which will be implemented in 2012 with the cooperation of SEAMEO SEAMOLEC,

(6)  Improving the cooperation of elementary and secondary level education between Indonesia and Thailand which is marked by the numbers of schools from Indonesia visiting the schools in Thailand, vice versa.

 SOFT POWER DIPLOMACY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION BETWEEN INDONESIA-THAILAND

(1)  Forum for the Presidents and Rectors of Higher Education Institution between Indonesia and Thailand has been implemented since the 2007 to date. The 6th  conference for rectors and presidents of higher education has been held in Sriwijaya University, Palembang Indonesia in 2012, and the next meeting will be held in Naresuan University on December 2012,

(2)  MoU agreement between the higher education institutions of Indonesia-Thailand has reached the number of 100 since the year 2008, including both the state and private higher education institutions, also the cooperation in joint research.

(3)  The form of cooperation between the higher education institutions as follow: (i) student exchange in the level of bachelor, master and doctoral degree, (ii) Double Degree in master level, (iii) student mobility and credit transfer for the bachelor level, (iv) joint research, (v) joint publication, and (vi) cooperation in culture and art,

(4)  The establishment of Indonesian Study Centers in Thailand, Currently there are 3 Indonesian Study Centers in Thailand, in Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai; Chiang Mai University; and Burapha University, Bangsaen. The purpose of the establishment of the Indonesian Study Centers is as follow: (i) to promote the elementary, lower secondary, higher secondary, and higher education in Indonesia, (ii) to promote the art, culture, and tourism in Indonesia, (iii) to promote the Indonesian Language for students, university officials and staffs in Thailand’s higher education institutions, (iv) to increase the number of Thai students who are interested to study in Indonesia, (v) to improve and develop the educational and cultural cooperation, as well as joint research between Indonesia and Thailand, and (vi) preparing for the ASEAN Community 2015. The components in the Indonesian Study Center are the important information about several higher education institutions (both state and private) and RSBI in Indonesia.

The establishment of the Indonesian Study Centers in Thailand since the year 2011 has reached 3 (three) locations, (i) Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, (ii) Chiang Mai University, and (iii) Burapha University, Bangsaen. In 2012, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia is planning to established another Indonesian Study Centers in Srinakharinwirot University, Prince of Songkhla University in Hat Yai and Walailak University in the South of Thailand. The total numbers of the Indonesian Study Center established and to be established is 6 (six) from the North of Thailand, Bangkok and the South of Thailand,

(5)  Darmasiswa Scholarship from the Ministry of Education and Culture Indonesia for all residents all over the world. With the increasing number of Thai students who study in Indonesia, particularly the students who are granted with the Darmasiswa scholarship from Indonesia in the year 2011, 75 Thai residents has granted the scholarship to study in Indonesia, and in the year 2012, 177 Thai residence applied for the scholarship to study in the higher education institutions in Indonesia,

(6)  Promoting the Indonesia Language for the Thai residents has been established since the year 2008 to prepare for the ASEAN Community 2015 with the event of Indonesian Language Speech Competition for Thai residents and Indonesian Language Course in the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Bangkok, with the increasing number of participants from Thai students, Thai officials, and Thai residents.

(7)  The Study of Indonesian Language in several higher education institutions in Thailand will start on June 2012 with lectures from Indonesia to Thammasat University, Burapha University, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Mai University, Dusit Bandit University, Naresuan University, Khon Kaen University, Prince of Songkhla University and several schools in Thailand.

(8)  The Study of Thai Language in Indonesia will also to be started in the year 2012, with lecturers from Thai schools to teach in Indonesian schools in Indonesia. This is an implementation from the MoU School Partnership between Indonesia-Thailand.