Indonesian vice president launches online higher education platform

Indonesian vice president Boediono (right) shakes hands with prime minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte (left) in March 2014.

On Wednesday at the Indonesian Education and Culture Ministry, vice president Boediono announced the launch an information and technology-based learning platform called the Indonesia Integrated Online Courses, as reported by Tempo.

The nation’s education and culture minister Muhammad Nuh said that the program’s online courses aim to provide higher education to remote areas of the archipelago. Nuh said higher education has been unattainable and unaffordable for people in rural areas due to a shortage of accommodation and a lack of adequate resources at local universities.

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The initiative comes at a time when public concerns have been raised about Indonesia’s talent pool. Last year, The Jakarta Post reported on a growing skills gap as the country’s higher education system struggles to keep up with its growing economy.

International education market intelligence firm ICEF Monitor says many local companies run the risk of being left behind unless they can recruit and retain competent staff. It predicts that talent shortages concerning managerial positions in Indonesia will worsen.

The government’s new courses will be conducted online and Boediono said that quality needs to become a top priority. He believes that if education technology is successfully applied in remote areas, companies will be able to easier find the skilled workers they need in Indonesia. Boediono also launched the Core Education Data initiative, a data management system designed to facilitate local education development planning, monitoring, and evaluation.

Image via Flickr user Minister-president Rutte.