JAKARTA – Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), together with partner Arizona State University (ASU), hosted the 2023 STEM Conference (STEMCON). STEMCON brought together policymakers, university leaders, and industry representatives to shape the next generation of Indonesia’s workforce to explore topics on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in Indonesia.
“The United States has a long history of supporting higher education partnerships in Indonesia,” said USAID Indonesia Mission Director Jeff Cohen. “By bringing together government, Indonesian and American universities, and private businesses, this conference is laying the groundwork to enhance Indonesia’s STEM workforce to meet the country’s needs and tackle global challenges.”
Under the theme “Developing the STEM Workforce through U.S. and Indonesia Public-Private Partnerships”, the conference will accelerate collaboration between American and Indonesian universities and companies, providing a forum to share ideas to achieve Indonesia’s goal of improving its science and technology workforce. Speakers from the U.S. and Indonesia emphasized creating scaled and innovative partnerships to bridge talent gaps in STEM recruiting.
Quality Assurance Coordinator of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Kevin Marbun emphasized the importance of collaboration and stated that universities play a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of STEM professionals. “I wish to express my profound gratitude to USAID, Arizona State University, and USAID HEPI project for their unwavering commitment to organizing this event and to fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation in the STEM landscape.”
USAID and ASU’s Higher Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI) focuses on STEM partnerships and pathways that connect U.S. universities to three Indonesian university hubs, sixteen affiliate universities, and ten industry partners to address STEM education challenges and improve curriculum and teaching methods—ensuring a supply of graduates that are industry-ready.
“The HEPI program provides Indonesian higher education opportunities to foster an ecosystem that nurtures collaboration between industry and universities that help learners with experiential learning in STEM,” says Jeffrey S Goss, Associate Vice Provost of Arizona State University. “STEMCON is a key activity of the HEPI program to create a community of practice in STEM higher education and be a forum to exchange ideas and develop new relationships and partnerships.”
For more information, visit https://www.usaid.gov/indonesia or contact USAID Communications Specialist Swiny Andina at +62 (21) 5083-1000 or sandina@usaid.gov.
Source: USembassy
