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On the path to Germany with the German-Indonesian Foundation
Anyone who wants to study in Germany needs not only good German language skills, but also targeted preparation. The German-Indonesian Foundation Yayasan Indonesia-Jerman has been supporting young people in Indonesia on this path for many years – with language courses and study counselling at its own Studienkolleg. Recently, the foundation became a licensed ÖSD examination centre, thereby expanding its range of services to include internationally recognised German examinations.
The institution “Yayasan Indonesia-Jerman”, the German-Indonesian Foundation, was founded in Jakarta in 1999 by the Indonesian ambassador Sukardi and other Germany alumni. At the time, Indonesia was marked by economic, social and political upheavals. During this period of crisis, the foundation wanted to help ensure that talented young Indonesians could continue to study in Germany.
To this day, the foundation sees its main task as promoting exchange between Indonesian and German or German-speaking institutions. This is intended to enable Indonesian prospective students to complete a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at educational institutions in Germany and other German-speaking countries.
Preparation for studying in Germany
The foundation’s focus is on the so-called Studienkolleg Indonesia: there, school leavers are specifically prepared for studying in Germany. For foreign applicants to higher education in Germany, a Studienkolleg is a compulsory programme. Studienkolleg Indonesia was the first of its kind outside Germany and enables young people to prepare for their studies while still in their home country.
It should be emphasised that the German-Indonesian Foundation does not operate for profit: its income is reinvested and its members work on a voluntary basis. In addition, there is close cooperation with institutions such as the German Academic Exchange Service/Deutscher Akademische Austauschdienst (DAAD) and the Goethe-Institut – for example within the framework of the German Federal Government’s Schools: Partners for the Future initiative.
The target group for the activities of the German-Indonesian Foundation is pupils and graduates of Indonesian secondary schools who want to study and/or work in Germany.
The foundation’s services include
- Courses at A1 and A2 level – these are offered partly free of charge for pupils. In addition, there are B1 courses as well as preparatory courses for the Studienkolleg, for which a B1 certificate is required.
- Study counselling for prospective students
- The placement of skilled workers as well as young people who would like to complete vocational training in a German-speaking country.
- Further language courses are planned.
Interactive teaching by experienced staff
The Studienkolleg places importance on modern, interactive German lessons that also incorporate digital learning opportunities and media. For this the classrooms in the foundation building are equipped with smart TVs. The teachers are native speakers and experienced Indonesian teachers who studied in Germany.
The German teachers mostly have a background in linguistics and many years of teaching experience. At the Studienkolleg, subject teachers also teach mathematics, physics, computer science, economics, history and geography. Lessons are held in German and, in addition to subject knowledge, also convey subject-specific language skills.
There are scholarship programmes for certain groups of people and participants of the Studienkolleg. To motivate particularly younger pupils to learn the German language, free language courses are offered on weekends.
Learning in the Grey Building in BSD City
Since 2018, all courses and activities of the German-Indonesian Foundation have taken place in the “Grey Building”. Across three floors, it offers a large staff room as well as several offices and classrooms. The building is located in BSD City in the government and administrative district of Tangerang, a satellite city in the Greater Jakarta area, about an hour’s drive from the capital.
In BSD, alongside numerous Indonesian schools, there is also the German School Jakarta (DSJ), with which joint events are organised regularly.
The German-Indonesian Foundation as partner of the ÖSD
Since its foundation, around 1,200 Indonesian applicants to higher education have completed the Studienkolleg of Yayasan Indonesia-Jerman and, by passing the assessment examination, acquired a higher education entrance qualification for universities in Germany and other German-speaking countries. Many graduates now work in Germany in the fields of technology or medicine. Others have returned to Indonesia and embarked on a successful professional career there.
In addition, the German-Indonesian Foundation has now also taken on the role of licensed partner of the Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch (ÖSD). “As an ÖSD examination centre, our foundation would like to generate greater interest among Indonesian school leavers in the Studienkolleg,” reports Ekkehard Zeeb, Director of the Studienkolleg and ÖSD examination chair. “A B1 certificate is a prerequisite for attending the Studienkolleg. For this purpose, we want to further expand our language course programme. In the future, we may also wish to offer A1 and A2 examinations.”
Currently, the following ÖSD German exams are offered at Yayasan Indonesia-Jerman:
ÖSD certificate for study and work
A further goal of the organisation is to expand its activities in the field of skilled worker placement even further. This target group, too, is to be offered language preparation programmes as well as the opportunity to obtain B1 and B2 certificates.
For certain types of higher education institutions – such as universities of applied sciences – as well as for some degree programmes in Germany and other German-speaking countries, B2-level language skills are required. These can be demonstrated with a corresponding ÖSD certificate.
With its broad range of courses and examinations – from the assessment examination and TestDaF through to ÖSD German examinations – Yayasan Indonesia-Jerman is a competent point of contact for anyone planning a stay in the DACH region, whether for study or work.
Contact
Yayasan Indonesia-Jerman / German Indonesian Foundation
Grey-Building
Jalan Puspita Raya, Lengkong Gudang Serpong, BSD-City
15321 Tangerang
Indonesia
Contact person:
Dr Ekkehard Zeeb
zeeb@studienkolleg-indonesia.de
Yayasan Indonesia-Jerman on Instagram and Tiktok
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