Indonesia - Madagascar Higher Education Partnership: Reshaping South-South Cooperation

Radrianary Bodonirina , Maharani Hapsari

2017 | Tesis | Ilmu Hubungan Internasional

ABSTRACT Indonesia and Madagascar are now witnessing a fundamental shift in the way they manage their bilateral relations. Traditionally, Madagascar and Indonesia used to base their relationship on the system “government to government” for communication and negotiation. However, Indonesia and Madagascar found a new way of cooperating in a discourse of solidarity among developing countries. Recently, the higher educational partnership signed between the two countries have the capacity to contribute to that change. Scholarship programs for developing countries constitute an efficient means of constructive solidarity and allow the reshaping of South-South cooperation. This study aims at examining higher education partnership process in the bilateral relation between Indonesia and Madagascar and its relation to South-South cooperation. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used in this research. The data was obtained from primary and secondary sources. In this study, Indonesia-Madagascar higher education partnership and its relation to South-South Cooperation is contingent on three factors: first, the involvement of ideas and institutions in higher education partnership, second, confronting power relations and political challenges, and third, shifting in the conduct of diplomacy and reshaping South-South cooperation. Apart from the rhetoric data based on literature review, the researcher made some investigation on the real evaluation of higher education partnership from the point of view of Malagasy students who are studying in Indonesia as well as some people involved in this partnership. The analysis of the data collected from the survey and some opinions of the Malagasy students, the Office of International Affairs, and teachers at INCULS on this higher education partnership and their suggestions. As a result, recommendations are addressed to the government of Indonesia and Madagascar so that their cooperation can move up the ladder. The results of the study are presented such that they can be set as an example for other countries to use education diplomacy for strengthening their relationships and revitalizing South-South Cooperation for global development. Keywords: Indonesia, Madagascar, higher education partnership, public diplomacy, institutions.

Kata Kunci : Perguruan Tinggi - Indonesia