Fulbright, the Glue of Indonesian and US Communities

For the Indonesian community, the Fulbright scholarship is known as one of the ways to help pursue higher education, especially for Master's and Doctoral degrees. Fulbright is part of the United States' soft diplomacy that has been ongoing since 1947 and reaches 160 countries.

In Indonesia, the Fulbright scholarship is managed by the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF). Currently, its postgraduate scholarship program also includes academics from higher education institutions under the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

On Monday (February 3, 2025), the US Government under President Donald Trump announced the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This has raised questions from various non-governmental organizations and Indonesians regarding the various empowerment programs funded by USAID.

The Fulbright scholarship has also become a topic of inquiry, considering this program is one of the mainstays for Indonesian citizens to elevate their educational status. On Tuesday (4/2/2025), AMINEF responded that Fulbright has continued to uphold its commitment to promoting international educational exchange for the past 73 years.

In general, the Fulbright program is always supported, regardless of the ruling government. Therefore, AMINEF is optimistic that this cooperation in the field of education will not weaken.

"The Fulbright program has been present in Indonesia since 1952. Through this program, it has been proven that education is the key to mutual understanding between nations," said AMINEF Director Alan Feinstein in Jakarta, Friday (17/1/2025).

He explained that the true ambassadors of a country and nation are the people. This is the most genuine and organic form of diplomacy. Interpersonal relationships are honest, free from conditions or geopolitical embellishments, thus creating a sense of mutual understanding and respect.

The Fulbright program is not limited to postgraduate education. Specifically for participants from the US, there is a program for teaching English in high schools and equivalent educational institutions throughout Indonesia. Here, they have the experience of directly interacting with students and teachers.

In fact, programs for university academics under the Ministry of Religious Affairs do not always lecture on religion in the US. Many major in social and political sciences, law, science, and technology.

The only aspect that Fulbright does not cover is majors that require students to come into direct contact with sick people. Medicine and nursing are among the fields that Fulbright does not facilitate.

In Indonesia, there have been 3,356 Fulbright alumni. Some of the famous ones are Iwan Tirta, Hasjim Djalal, Anies Baswedan, Agus Salim, Hassan Shadily, and Nasaruddin Umar.

From the US side, there were 1,421 people who participated in the Fulbright program to Indonesia. One of the most prominent was William Liddle, an Indonesian expert from Ohio University.

The Fulbright program in Indonesia is the second largest in the world. The country with the largest Fulbright program is Pakistan.

"In the early days of the program, there were always concerns from Fulbright participants, both from Indonesia and the US. For example, those who wanted to go to the US were afraid of Islamophobia and gun violence. Participants who wanted to go to Indonesia were worried about security issues and unsuitable food," Feinstein said.

Based on the participants' stories, the bias disappeared when they arrived at their respective destinations. The campuses in the US and Indonesia were open-minded. Various sensitive questions from curious locals to participants could be resolved through open dialogue.

"We emphasize to participants that they may encounter uncomfortable questions from locals in both Indonesia and the U.S. Most of these questions are not malicious, but rather the person may be meeting a foreigner for the first time," Feinstein said.

He explained that Fulbright is a good platform to introduce the diversity of the US and Indonesia. The US community is exposed to Fulbright participants from Indonesia who come from various ethnic groups, religions, and cultures.

Similar to the Indonesian people who met the diverse Fulbright participants from the US. There were European, Asian, African descendants, and they adhered to various religions and beliefs. This helped build the perception that Indonesia and the US are not monolithic nations.

"Even in difficult times, one of which was the events of September 11, 2001, the enthusiasm of US and Indonesian citizens to participate in Fulbright did not fade. In fact, intellectuals felt that both parties should get to know each other better," said Feinstein.

In Indonesia, Feinstein explained, the composition of Fulbright participants is now dominated by women. The number is equivalent to 60 percent of participants. This is a proud aspect and a positive example for the world.

For Indonesian universities sending their faculty to Fulbright, the majority emphasize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In contrast, US universities want to strengthen their humanities knowledge of Indonesia.

Specifically for Indonesian undergraduate program participants, Fulbright provides funds of US$43,000 (Rp701 million) per year. The money includes tuition fees, books, and transportation.

For postgraduate participants, a scholarship of 52,000 US dollars (Rp. 848 million) is given every year. The amount for Masters students is greater than the PhD scholarship. The reason is, PhD students can usually earn additional income by becoming teaching assistants or research assistants.

Fulbright alumni who have returned to their home country cannot immediately cut ties with AMINEF. They are asked to help disseminate information about Fulbright scholarships to their respective communities.

Usually, it is done through public lectures to local communities. Alumni in Lhokseumawe (Aceh), Belu (East Nusa Tenggara), Polewali Mandar (West Sulawesi), and Sintang (West Kalimantan) have practiced it.

Interest in non-diploma programs is growing, Feinstein said. These programs allow participants to teach Indonesian in the U.S. for a few months. There are also internships and courses at community colleges.

"We also promote heritage programs for US citizens of Indonesian descent. This is an opportunity for them to learn more about the land of their ancestors," said Feinstein.