June 28, 2023
JAKARTA – The Indonesian Embassy in Seoul has launched a training program for Indonesian employees supported by South Korean financial sector firms.
The Indonesia’s Best Professional Program kicked off on June 26 and includes work placement opportunities and competence building.
The launch event was attended by former Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda, Prasetiya Mulya University School of Business and Economics dean Fathony Rahman, Binus University vice president George W. Hadipoespito and representatives of South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), Hana Financial Group and Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK).
The embassy plans to organize two other events: Indonesia Career Day (ICD) and Indonesia Talent Pool Management (ITPM).
The first will focus on facilitating networking and mentorship programs and is targeted at Indonesian students studying in South Korea, while the ITPM event targets those studying offshore.
Hassan explained that the program was aimed at developing the education system in Indonesia and noted that Prasetiya Mulya was a renowned university and known for fostering entrepreneurs.
Prasetiya Mulya University’s Faculty of Law has announced its intention to offer International Business Law classes in the context of international economics, with a focus on China, Japan and South Korea as well as other East Asian countries.
The program is being developed to follow up on several economic agreements between Indonesia and East Asian countries, according to a press release from the Indonesian Embassy in South Korea.
One of those agreements, signed in July last year, is aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation relating to the construction of the new Indonesian capital city Nusantara in Kalimantan to substitute overcrowded Jakarta, paving the way for Korean firms to participate in building digital infrastructure, as Reuters reported.
The two countries initially signed a collaboration agreement on the ambitious megaproject of relocating Indonesia’s capital to Nusantara in 2019.
So far, commitments from foreign investors to the project have not been as strong as some had hoped, with analysts noting that progress may speed up after Indonesia’s elections next year.
Kwon Sehwan, general manager of Hana Financial Group, said all aspects of financial services were about human resources and that there was a need for collaboration to train employees that understood information technology.
The discussion was led by Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea Gandi Sulistiyanto, who stressed the importance of closer cross-sectoral cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea, including collaborations between Indonesian universities and South Korean financial and banking authorities.
Therefore, South Korean financial institutions have been invited to help open up opportunities for young Indonesians, the press release said, adding that the next step of collaboration between Indonesia and South Korea was to make progress on developing programs, signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and organizing joint activities.
This year marks the “50th anniversary of Indonesian-South Korean Friendship,” the release states, noting that education and finance were the two focus areas of cooperation to make the anniversary more meaningful.
The Indonesian Embassy in Seoul also expressed its support for academic excellence efforts to nurture an educated and talented generation ready to enter an international workforce, including in South Korea.