REMARKS ON HELM PROJECT LAUNCH

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Peace for all,

Honorable Director General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture;

Honorable Head of Agency for Education, Human Resources Development and Quality Assurance, Ministry of Education and Culture;

Honorable Head of Agency for Research and Development, Ministry of Education and Culture;

Honorable Director General for Islamic Education, Ministry of Religious Affairs;

Honorable Chief of APTISI;

Honorable Chief of National Accreditation Board of Higher Education;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let us praise and thank God for by God’s mercy and blessings, we could attend the Launching of Higher Education Leadership and Management, HELM Project. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Launching of HELM Project as has been agreed by the Government of Indonesia and USAID donors under the signed  Assistance Agreement (AA) No. 497-025. We realize that the agreement is very strategic because the goal of the agreement is to support the Government of Indonesia (GOI) in its effort to increase the quality of higher education, specifically on learning process which may result in improving outcomes.  

I learn that the US – Indonesian partnership through the HELM Project will cover the four main areas of technical assistance: financial management, general administration and management, quality assurance, and collaboration with external stakeholders. This is actually good opportunity for Indonesian universities to learn from US universities on how to improve the quality of the institutions. As far as I am concerned, in terms of financial management, Indonesian universities need to learn how to manage the finance more efficiently and transparently. For general administration and management, they are expected to learn how to improve the working mechanism and the file documentation in more modern ways; and for collaboration with external stakeholders, they need to learn how to build good collaboration with external stakeholders in order to get relevant supports.

The programs of HELM should be developed in line with the government’s effort to build good governance and clean government as well as to support the policy of corruption eradication by involving government institutions such as the State Audit Board (BPK), Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), and so forth.  I consider it is also worthwhile to facilitate partnership with industries to provide a chance for university students to learn and practice as apprenticeship program where eventually they can work in the same industries as dual systems. The apprenticeship program should also be directed for teaching and learning and research program by utilizing social resources which is usually called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provided by corporations and some other donors for continuously improving research and development and public service program.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I observe that partnership between the Government of Indonesia and USAID in the field of education has been continuously developing. For instance, previous Indonesian – US partnership provided technical assistance for basic education through the DBE project focusing on the quality improvement of school management and good governance, teaching and learning process, and life skills for youth.

We are aware that implementing the coming programs of the project requires great efforts, full supports, synergic and harmonious participation from all related ministries and institutions, other stakeholders, and all of us in order to attain high achievement. I believe serious involvement of all the stakeholders in supporting the programs will significantly affect the successfulness of the programs.

Finally, on behalf of Indonesian Government I wish to extend my appreciation to the US Government and I hope the collaboration between US and Indonesian Government is beneficial for both countries and nations.

Thank you for your kind attention,

Wassalamu ‘Alaikum Wr. Wb

Jakarta, January 27th 2012

Deputy Minister for Education and Religion

Coordinating Ministry for People’s Welfare