Indonesia grants scholarships to students from 29 countries

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

The Jakarta Post

Students from around the world showed interest in Indonesian culture at the Foreign Ministrys Pancasila Building in Jakarta on Monday, attending the launch of the 2010 Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship.

From countries as varied as China, Tonga, Austria, South Africa and Russia, the 52 scholarship awardees from 29 countries performed in their national costumes at the official opening ceremony for the program, which has now been running for eight consecutive years.

Following a one-week orientation period in Jakarta, the students will spend three months in various cultural centers around the archipelago such as Bandung, Solo and Yogyakarta learning about Indonesian art, language and culture.

Speaking at the opening ceremony. Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa expressed hope for better international diplomacy through meaningful intercultural contact, encouraging the appreciation and enrichment of Indonesian culture through cultural exchange.

In welcoming the students to Indonesia. Marty emphasized the val-ues of multiculturalism, democracy and the ability to combine tradition with modernity as the defining features of the "Indonesian way of life". The program will give 12 international scholarship awardees the opportunity to spend two months studying art in Indonesia, expressing their experience through painting.