The Impacts of Study Abroad on Developing Countries Presented at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia

On Aug. 15, 2024, the JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development (JICA Ogata Research Institute) held a book launch seminar, hosted by the Directorate of Research and co-organized by the Magister Management of Higher Education, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Indonesia titled, “Empirical Research on Impacts of Study Abroad in Developing Countries – based on Study Abroad Experiences of Academic Professionals of Major Universities in ASEAN Countries.” The project’s research results were compiled in a book titled, “Impacts of Study Abroad on Higher Education Development: Examining the Experiences of Faculty at Leading Universities in Southeast Asia,” published in August 2024.

This project aimed to investigate the impacts of study abroad experiences of university faculty members on their subsequent academic activities and on the development of their academic institutions. It started in 2018 in collaboration with top-10 academic institutions in four ASEAN member states. Large-scale data collection was conducted via questionnaire surveys and interviews from 2019 through 2022.

During the seminar, the research results were discussed by the participants, including UGM faculty members and students, and other stakeholders in higher education. First, Wahyu Supartono, Head of the Magister Management of Higher Education at UGM and a research member of the project in Indonesia, gave an overview of the research, which was followed by an opening greeting from Mimi Savitri, Vice Dean of Research, Community Service, and Cooperation in UGM’s Faculty of Cultural Sciences. They both touched on the significance of collaboration with Japan and the way forward in the development of higher education in the country.

Next, under the moderation of Vissia Ita Yulianto, a researcher from the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies, Kayashima Nobuko , Senior Research Advisor at the JICA Ogata Research Institute, gave a presentation titled “Impacts of Study Abroad on Higher Education Development: Examining the Experiences of Faculty at Leading Universities in Southeast Asia.” Kayashima presented an overall analysis of the four target countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam). First, she indicated that the trends of study abroad for faculty members of the target countries have changed over the years. Second, the experience of study abroad had positive effect on the subsequent academic activities of faculty members in each of the countries, contributing significantly to the internationalization of their home academic institutions. Moreover, the analysis showed that the effects of study abroad diverged between home countries with the advancement of domestic graduate school education and that the characteristics of study abroad experiences differed depending on the destination country.

Case studies were also presented during the seminar. Representing the research team from Indonesia’s Institute Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Umemiya Naoki, Professor at Sophia University, presented the case study of ITB as detailed in Chapter 8 of the book, titled “Impacts of Study Abroad on the Internationalization of Higher Education in Indonesia: Drawing on the Experiences of Faculty Members at Institut Teknologi Bandung.” Likewise, Wahyu represented UGM’s research team and presented the case study of UGM as described in Chapter 9, titled “The Impact of Studying Abroad on the Three Pillars of Higher Education at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia: Challenges and Breakthroughs.” ITB’s case study showed that the impact of study abroad experiences on education, research, and international activities was significantly higher than the impact of studying at domestic graduate schools, and that the activities accelerated by study abroad experiences differed across destination countries. UGM’s case study indicated that study abroad greatly impacts not only education and research activities but also institution management and community service. It also showed that study abroad has positive effect on the internationalization of the university, including double-degree and joint-degree programs with overseas universities. This is particularly evident at UGM. Both case studies found that study abroad experiences result in positive impact on the various activities by faculty members.

Yudi Soeharyadi, who is a lecturer at ITB and a research member, commented on ITB’s research results in terms of the characteristics of destination countries and how the research data could be used to inform ITB’s policy on faculty development.

A wide range of discussions were held during the Q&A session, including the reasons for selecting the four countries as the survey targets and the factors behind why the impact of study abroad differs between the home countries. Discussions also covered the research results with regard to policy implications and their practical applications, the role Japan should take in study abroad collaborations, and the characteristics of study abroad in Japan and other destination countries.

Additional research is being planned to further clarify the relationship between faculty members' experiences of studying in Japan and academic collaborations with Japan following the return to their home countries. The results of this research will be compiled in academic papers.