AMINEF and Freeport Indonesia Provide Scholarships for Papuan Students to Study in the US
13 May 2023
Again this year PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) agreed to continue the scholarship program for student candidates from Papua who meet the selection criteria to study at community colleges in the United States for two semesters. In collaboration with the US Fulbright scholarship fund, The American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF), PTFI will provide scholarships worth two million US dollars over the 2023-2028 period to fund around 10 Papuan participants per year in the Community College Initiative (CCI) program belonging to US Department of State. The CCI program is an educational opportunity managed by a consortium of American community colleges from Northern Virginia Community College and supported by AMINEF.
The CCI program specifically targets community groups who still have limited access to the education sector. In Indonesia, AMINEF aims to recruit scholarship applicants outside the major cities in Java and from communities who have limited opportunities to study abroad. This special collaboration with PTFI will enable students from six provinces in Papua to have the opportunity to study abroad, as part of the approximately 30 Indonesian students who participate in the AMINEF program each year.
The grant commitment for the Community College Initiative (CCI) program was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding on Friday, 12 May 2023 at @america, Pacific Place Mall, Jakarta. The signing of the document by AMINEF Executive Director Alan Feinstein and PTFI President Director Tony Wenas was also witnessed by Deputy US Ambassador to Indonesia Michael F. Kleine. In this signing event, three AMINEF scholarship alumni from Papua also shared their experiences.
“PTFI is proud to continue our long-term partnership with AMINEF to provide opportunities for more Papuan students to study in the United States. This scholarship program demonstrates our commitment to education and to helps build a brighter future for the people of Papua," said PTFI President Director Tony Wenas.
This memorandum of understanding is a continuation of the collaboration that has existed between PTFI and AMINEF since 1998. Through the CCI program funded by the US Department of State, Papuan students, like young people from other parts of Indonesia, can study in various fields such as agriculture, engineering applied science, business management, early childhood education, information technology, media, and tourism and hospitality management.
AMINEF is the governing body for the Fulbright scholarship program and similar exchange programs funded by the US and Indonesian governments. Since 1998, AMINEF and PTFI have been working together to provide opportunities for Fulbright scholarships and other Ministry of Foreign Affairs grants for the people of Papua.
With the value of support that PTFI has provided to more than US$4 million to date, PTFI is the largest private sector sponsor for the Fulbright program and other AMINEF programs in Indonesia. Until now, around 99 students from Papua and eastern Indonesia have received scholarships to study in the United States through the collaboration between AMINEF and PTFI, namely 26 students who have taken master studies with the Fulbright Visiting Student scholarship and 73 students who have joined the CCI program. (Corporate Communications)
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