1,600 Students to Study in Russia

Sumber :

VIVAnews - The government urged that Indonesian students and lecturers apply for scholarship to Russia.

For the time being, they may submit scholarship proposals to Russian Cultural Center (RCC) and the Directorate General of Higher Education (Dikti), said Deputy Indonesian Ambassador for Russia A. Agus Sriyono on Tuesday, Jan 20.

Sriyono is targeting for 1,600 Indonesian college students to study in Russia in 2009. "This is the momentum to improve the relationship between Indonesia and Russia, mainly on education," he said.  

The partnership, Sriyono said, was initiated by a founding of a joint selection committee and the signing of a partnership agreement between St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University and Univesity of Indonesia (UI), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), as well as Hasanuddin University.  

"Seven professors who represented Russia signed the MoU with UI and ITB on 14th of January. Today, the signing will include Hasanuddin University," said Sriyono.

Counsellor of the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow, Russia, M. Aji Surya said that the greatest challenge in the partnership is to communicate to people that Russia is no longer a communist country.

Prior to 1965, he said, there were around 30 thousand students taking classes in several universities in Russia. However, during 1965-1988 period, there were Indonesian students studying there.

The Russian Cultural Center opens 35 applications for under-graduate and graduate schools as well as doctoral degree every year. "The registration for Dikti scholarship is now open for September-October academic calendar. While, RCC scholarship for February will be open in the same month," Sriyono said. 

RCC awardees will not have to pay for tuition fee and will be provided with free accommodation. They will also be granted allowances. Dikti awardees will have free tuition fee, accommodation, transportation, sums for books and allowances.

Translated by: Bonardo Maulana Wahono