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JURNAL INOVASI ILMU SOSIAL DAN POLITIK (JISoP)
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https://riset.unisma.ac.id/index.php/JISoP/article/view/21980
DOI: 10.33474/jisop.v6i1.21980
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Indonesian public diplomacy on education in
Vietnam
Lusianti1*, and Nur Azizah2
1Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, email: lusiantisahurudin@gmail.com
2Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, email: nurazizah@umy.ac.id
*Corresponding author
Article Info
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Submission: 2024-05-10
Accepted: 2024-06-22
Published: 2024-07-07
This is an open access article
distributed under the CC BY-SA
4.0 license
Copyright © 2024, the author(s)
Based on BPS RI records in 2022, the number of Vietnamese visiting Indonesia
have increased but still relatively low at 68,067 people. Therefore, public
diplomacy is needed by Indonesia for the Vietnamese. Public diplomacy can be
carried out from various fields, to fulfill the national interests of a country. This
research will explain the public diplomacy conducted by Indonesia in Vietnam.
This research was written using a qualitative method with data derived from
previous journals, articles, social media, data from the Indonesian Consulate
General in HCMC, and interviews that the author conducted with scholarship
awardees from the Indonesian government, lecturers and students from the
Indonesian Studies Program USSH VNU HCMC, and lecturers and students from
BIPA HCMCOU. As a result, it is found that the form of public diplomacy carried
out by Indonesia is in the form of scholarships from the Indonesian government
for Vietnamese, Indonesian Study Program USSH VNU HCMC, and BIPA
HCMCOU. The Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC has contributed to public
diplomacy on education and successfully enhance Indonesia's positive image in
Ho Chi Minh City.
Keywords:
diplomatic relations; public diplomacy; education; Indonesia; Vietnam
Please cite this article in APA style as:
Lusianti, & Azizah, N. (2024). Indonesian public diplomacy in education in Vietnam. Jurnal Inovasil Ilmu Sosial
dan Politik (JISoP), 6(1), 90–103. https://doi.org/10.33474/jisop.v6i1.21980
INTRODUCTION
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is in the Eastern part of Southeast Asia. The capital
of Vietnam is Hanoi, which located in the Northern part of Vietnam. Meanwhile, this research
will focus on Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) which is located in the Southern part of
Vietnam, as the largest city in Vietnam. In 2023, the population of Vietnam is estimated to
reach 100,380,000 people. Vietnam is a country with a one-party system. Vietnam's greatest
resource lies in its educated and energetic people. Vietnam's economy has experienced
significant growth since the late 1990s, with tourism, manufacturing income, exports and
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita increasing rapidly. This increase was followed by
the opening of national markets to international market competition at the beginning of the
Indonesian public diplomacy in education in Vietnam
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21st century. Not to mention, Vietnam is also part of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
(Siregar et al., 2023).
In terms of education itself, Vietnamese society still adheres to the Confucian tradition
of prioritizing education. In the 1990s, there was considerable restructuring in Vietnamese
higher education. There was a merger between Hanoi University and other institutions and
faculties which eventually became the Vietnam National University (VNU). The location of
the VNU campus itself is divided into 2, namely VNU Hanoi and VNU Ho Chi Minh City. VNU
itself is the largest multi-disciplinary campus for higher education in Vietnam. Apart from
that, there was the construction of new universities in the 1990s, followed by an increase in
the number of teachers/lecturers in Vietnam. Unfortunately this increase in the education
sector was not accompanied by a comparable network expansion to improve the university's
relations with external parties. The literacy level in Vietnamese society is quite high, which
is accompanied by a lot of training in the fields of science and technology, and market
reforms, both economic and business, and many students are starting to be sent abroad
every year (Bodewig et al., 2014; Hickey et al., 2024).
Diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Vietnam have been running well for 68
years. Since the first Indonesian diplomatic representation was established in Hanoi in 1955,
Indonesia and Vietnam have also become part of several international organizations such as
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), ASEAN
Regional Forum (ARF), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the East Asian Forum.
Cooperation between the two countries began with bilateral cooperation, which was
inaugurated in June 2003. Bilateral cooperation then escalated to a higher level, namely
Strategic Partnership in May 2005 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic
cooperation between Indonesia and Vietnam (Ilham, 2019; Manurung, 2021).
The scope of this research covers the Working Area of the Consulate General of the
Republic of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City. The following is a map of the working area of the
Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City:
Figure 1. Map of the working area of the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC
Source: Indonesian Consulate General HCMC Working Area website
This research will discuss public diplomacy carried out by Indonesia in the field of
education in the working area of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Ho
Chi Minh City in 2023. It is hoped that this research can become a media for seeing the
realization of the success of public diplomacy carried out by Indonesia and providing input
or suggestions for programs that will be implemented in the future.
Public diplomacy is defined as an activity built for long-term relationships, with the
aim of building two-way relationships and trust through a public approach (Melissen, 2005).
Hayden (2017) said that public diplomacy can take the form of exchange programs,
international broadcast programs, cultural diplomacy, and messages in campaigns. And
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92 ~ 6(1), 90-103
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these activities must be two-way, not only prioritizing the interests of the first party, but also
considering the interests of the target. Public diplomacy itself is considered an important
thing nowadays, because the public diplomacy of a government or country can get the
attention or favor of the foreign public, which will also have an influence on the government.
The increase in the field of communication and information is also one of the aspects that
influences public opinion towards something, and the public opinion that is created can be
an aspect of consideration in making public policy (Snow, 2008), and finally succeeded in
influencing things in the government indirectly (Gilboa, 2008). Nye (2008) believes that
exchange programs can be more effective in achieving the goal of gaining soft power than
activities such as broadcasting, because exchange programs are two-way interactions, and
broadcasting is a one-way activity.
Soft Power is a form of "power" in the world of international relations. According to
Nye (2021) Soft power means achieving power with a gentler approach, without coercion,
and like a magnet that attracts targets closer by itself. Nye (2008) mentions the definition
that soft power is "The ability to influence others to obtain desired results through attraction
rather than coercion and payment".
It is explained that the activities carried out to obtain soft power must be activities that
attract the attention of the target, so that the changes or results of the soft power that will be
obtained later occur at the will of the target itself, not under coercion from any party (Trisni
et al., 2023). Soft Power which focuses on the ability to attract the attention of the
target/other party. Thus, it requires the ability to analyze what they like and attract their
attention. Nye himself believes that exchange programs are much more effective in achieving
the goal of gaining soft power than relying on broadcasting activities, because exchange
activities are considered a two-way interaction, and broadcasting is only one-way (Nye,
2008).
The author used 2 articles as references in this research. First Article i.e. “The role of
international education on public diplomacy: the case of Kosovo International Summer
Academy” (Hajdari et al., 2024). This research explains how “Kosovo International Summer
Academy (KSA), was able to change the participants' perspective regarding Kosovo. In both
historical and temporary contexts, countries have implemented exchanges in education as a
means to promote their country globally and create people-to-people relations. Student
Mobility Programs (SMP) or student exchange programs can be said to be an important
element for promotional activities and as emphasized by Efstathopoulos (2015) SMPs It can
be said to be a powerful public diplomacy tool or medium in helping to create relationships
between students and their host countries.
According to Bettie (2020) many activities that bring people from different countries
to interact directly, which also have a purpose and last for a certain period of time. Over time,
the other side of this scholarship will involve a globalized world and targets, with the aim of
becoming an instrument that connects “culture, attitudes and behavior, builds and manages
relationships, influences thinking and acts of change that benefits their interests and values”
(Gregory, 2011; Limani & Limani, 2022).
In this research there is a survey conducted on KSA alumni. Questions were prepared
to determine the perceptions and attitudes of KSA participants in 3 time stages: before,
during, and after participating in KSA. Some of the questions asked were: “Was your
participation in Kosovo International Summer Academy the first time you visited Kosovo?”,
“Would you go back to Kosovo if you had the chance?”, and “After participating in KSA, would
or would not recommend others to visit Kosovo?”. The responses from the participants are
depicted in graphical form which is divided into various answers from the respondents.
Indonesian public diplomacy in education in Vietnam
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The results of this research show that international education has its own strengths
that influence the behavior and attitudes of international visitors, and their desire to remain
"connected" with the country concerned. The most significant impression that most of the
participants from KSA felt about Kosovo was its people, history, friendliness and beauty, the
connection being stronger between the image of the country of Kosovo and its people and
history, rather than its language, food and nightlife. KSA participants' own perceptions
changed after being associated with KSA, this suggests that people-to-people Diplomacy is
the most effective method in changing a person's perception of a country's image, by focusing
on elements such as the environment, history, and human relations.
This article contributes to the assessment of how international education programs are
viewed from a public diplomacy perspective. Viewed from a public policy perspective, this
article suggests that international education programs can be a useful tool or medium for
small countries to not only influence the perspectives of international visitors, but also shape
and improve their image.
The second article is entitled “International student experience in Indonesia and public
diplomacy consequences: Governance of Darmasiswa program” (Sutjipto et al., 2023). This
research discusses the darmasiswa program as Indonesian public diplomacy in the
education sector which is run by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and
Technology. It was explained that the Ministry of Education and Culture is considering 7
pillars of public diplomacy (public advocacy, reasons and rationale, constant, truthful, and
credible, specific audiences, communication channels, alliances and partnerships, dialogue and
exchange) in carrying out its mission. The darmasiswa program itself is a program
established by the state as an effort to improve international relations through positive
student experiences. Various communication strategies were developed to support this
program and its mission. Apart from the Ministry of Education and Culture, this program
also includes: track diplomacy first and second as the strategy.
Many countries try to fulfill their national interests through education. Indonesia itself
is still experiencing difficulties in attracting international students. Based on data from ICEF
Monitor, The number of international students in Indonesia is still small, which is
disappointing. Because based on QS, universities in Indonesia are part of the best
universities (Rosser, 2018). Indonesia also offers many other benefits, such as its natural
beauty, but it is also a multi-ethnic country with more than 300 islands. Apart from that,
Indonesia also has the largest economic movement in Southeast Asia, has the fourth largest
population in the world, is one of the countries with an active democratic system in East Asia
and the Pacific, and has a low cost of living (Shaturaev, 2021; The World Bank, 2023).
There are several reasons why Indonesia is having difficulty attracting international
students. Previous research (OECD and Asian Development Bank) stated that these 2 reasons
include that Indonesian higher education is not yet widely known abroad and has limited
promotional access, secondly it is related to Indonesia's image in the international world.
Indonesian higher education is not yet widely known and is usually known as an unsafe
developing country in view of various incidents of terrorism, demonstrations and crime
(Nainggolan, 2018). This is important because based on several previous studies, the image
of the destination country and the perception of the risks (good and bad) that exist are
considerations for most foreign students (Gardiner & Kwek, 2016; Ghazarian, 2016; Pawar
et al., 2020; Rohrer & Warren, 2011).
The darmasiswa program itself was designed by the Ministry of Education and Culture
as an effort to carry out public diplomacy through the education sector. A program created
to attract or bring international students through a scholarship program to promote and
increase their interest in Indonesian language and culture through learning experiences, at
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94 ~ 6(1), 90-103
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the same time as forming their understanding of Indonesia directly. It is hoped that the
darmasiswa program can change the attitude of foreign students towards the Indonesian
environment by creating it based on reality, not just based on its stereotype. And they can be
ambassadors or actors who spread messages and impressions about Indonesia in their home
countries. This program can spark understanding, image enhancement, closer relationships,
and efforts to attract more international students.
In this research, it is discussed that Indonesia has implemented the 7 pillars of public
diplomacy as an effort to succeed in its national interests, namely conducting public
diplomacy. In the future, it is hoped that further awareness and understanding will be
created among the wider community regarding the importance of education as part of public
diplomacy.
METHOD
This research method is a qualitative method. The qualitative method is by collecting
data in written form from previous journals, articles, social media, as well as data from the
Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). This research
will explain the public diplomacy carried out by Indonesia in Vietnam in 2023. The author
also conducted interviews to add the necessary data. The author conducted interviews with
8 people, namely 2 Darmasiswa awardees in 2023, 1 Indonesian Language and Arts
Scholarship (BSBI) awardees in 2023, 2 lecturers and 3 students from the Indonesian Study
Program of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University
Ho Chi Minh City (USSH VNU HCMC), and 1 lecturer and 2 students from the Indonesian
Language for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) Ho Chi Minh City Open University (HCMCOU). All
interviewees were Vietnamese, and the 3 awardees of the scholarship that the author
interviewed were the same students as the Indonesian Studies Program students of USSH
VNU HCMC. The author created 5 different questionnaires for the interviewees.
From the interviews that the author conducted, the author analyzed the answers from
the interviewees using the narrative analysis method. Afterwards, the author chose which
answers are more relevant to be used as data and discussed with the topic of this research.
Choosing which data and information is needed is very important to facilitate the process of
this research in the future, both in discussion and conclusions.
Figure 2. Research method framework
Source: Edited by author, June 3, 2024
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
As Indonesia's representative in Ho Chi Minh City, the Indonesian Consulate General in
HCMC has a mission written in the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan (RENSTRA), one of these
missions is "Improving the positive image of Indonesia in the working area of the Indonesian
Consulate General in HCMC". The positive image of Indonesia referred to here is the positive
Indonesian public diplomacy in education in Vietnam
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perception that other actors believe in towards Indonesia in international relations, which
is expected to increase in the sense that it is better than before.
Apart from that, in the section explaining the general conditions in the fields of
Information, Social and Culture in the SWOT analysis, it is written that "The general
perception of Vietnamese people who do not know much about Indonesia" is one of the
threats faced by the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC. Therefore, in order to
implement this mission, the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC formulated strategic
goals to be achieved in the 2020-2024 period, namely reaching number 4 (scale 5) in terms
of the Indonesian Image index in the working area of the Indonesian Consulate General in
HCMC.
Table 1. Policy and strategy direction matrix
Direction Policy by
the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
Strategy by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
Representative Strategy
Improved
Indonesia's positive
image in the
international world
● Increasing the role of non-
government actors in inclusive
public diplomacy
● Utilizing conventional and digital
media networks to promote
Indonesia's image abroad
● Increasing the role of non-government actors in
inclusive public diplomacy in the working area of the
Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City
● Utilizing conventional and digital media networks to
promote Indonesia's image in the working area of the
Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City
Source: RENSTRA of the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC for 2020-2024
As stated in the author's findings regarding the missions of Indonesian foreign
missions, the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City also
contributed to improving the positive image of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City. A positive
image for a country in the foreign public can be achieved by conducting public diplomacy.
Public diplomacy itself is needed to promote Indonesia to the foreign public. The public
diplomacy carried out must attract the target's attention without coercion from any party.
The success of a country in conducting public diplomacy can fulfill and protect the national
interests of the country concerned, such as the economy with export-import, tourism, etc.
The following are some of the author's findings regarding public diplomacy carried out
by the Indonesian government through the education sector in the working area of the
Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. The author will categorize the list of
programs into 3, namely the Scholarship Program from the Indonesian Government, the
Indonesian Study Program University of Social Sciences and Humanities-Vietnam National
University Ho Chi Minh City (USSH VNU), and the Indonesian Language Program for Foreign
Speakers (BIPA) Ho Chi Minh City Open University (HCMCOU).
In the first finding, the author found that Indonesia offers several scholarship programs
to foreign students regularly every year, including Vietnam. The author also conducted
interviews with the scholarship awardees. The Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC
contributes to this public diplomacy effort by facilitating the necessary information for
interested Vietnamese students. Apart from that, the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC
also assisted in providing letters of recommendation for participants, and assisted in the
selection process by conducting interviews with candidates for several scholarships. The
scholarships that will be explained here are scholarships specifically for foreign citizens to
study Indonesian culture and language. In the first category, there are several programs
available, including:
Darmasiswa Scholarship. The Darmasiswa program is a program from the Ministry
of Education and Culture (Kemdikbud) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(Kemlu) of the Republic of Indonesia, and has been held since 1974. There are 72 universities
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registered as partners of this scholarship program. Darmasiswa is a scholarship program
that targets overseas students from countries that have diplomatic relations with Indonesia.
The initial idea for the Darmasiswa scholarship itself was created as part of an initiative
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the aim of promoting and increasing
interest in Indonesian language and culture among youth in other countries. This program
currently has a total of 135 participating countries. All expenses from awardees will be borne
by the organizer, namely the Ministry of Education and Culture, except for plane tickets for
scholarship recipients going to and returning from Indonesia. (Scholarship Website)
According to information that the author obtained from the Indonesian Consulate
General in HCMC, there are 22 students from Vietnam who had succeeded in becoming
darmasiswa scholarship awardees in 2023, and all of them come from Ho Chi Minh City. The
author had the opportunity to conduct interviews with 2 awardees of the Darmasiswa
scholarship program for the 2023 period online through google form on January 11, 2024.
The first awardee, Le Thi Ngoc Sang, is a student at the Indonesian Study Program USSH
VNU HCMC. With her interest in Indonesia and her desire to develop her ability to
communicate using Indonesian, Sang decided to enroll in this program. Sang was placed at
the Language Center at Airlangga University. Sang was able to follow the lessons smoothly
and did not experience any difficulties because she already had basic Indonesian in her study
program.
The second awardee is, Tran Thi Kieu Trinh. Trinh has the same background as Sang,
namely a student at the Indonesian Studies Program USSH VNU HCMC. Trinh said that as a
student in the Indonesian Studies Program, her biggest dream was to study in Indonesia, and
see Indonesia directly through her eyes, not just from books. Trinh wants to explore the
culture of Indonesia, as well as directly apply the language she studied during college with
native Indonesian speakers. Trinh was placed at the Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang
with the Indonesian Language Study Program. Trinh stated that at UMM itself, a test system
was implemented for Indonesian language skills for foreign students, and Trinh was placed
at the level of students who had previously studied and had basic Indonesian. Trinh admitted
that it was not difficult to adapt and understand the materials explained by the lecturer.
Trinh also gave advice to students who are interested in taking part in this scholarship
program, namely to do research first about Indonesia, to reduce culture shock. You also have
to open your heart and take advantage of the 10 months you have to improve your
knowledge of Indonesian culture and language skills.
Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship (BSBI). This scholarship program started
in 2003 and is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu). This program is held for
2 months, during which time participants can experience studying Indonesian art, culture
and local wisdom directly at several arts centers in Indonesia, which at the end of the event
will be displayed at Indonesian Channel. To date, the BSBI program has alumni from 83
countries.
The BSBI program in 2023 limits the number of participants to 32 people to maintain
the quality of the program carried out. Several things are taken into consideration, namely
the background of the prospective participant, gender, regional representation, and most
importantly their interest in studying Indonesian culture (BSBI Guidance 2023). In BSBI
2023, of the 32 participants, 2 participants came from Vietnam. 1 of the 2 students comes
from Ho Chi Minh City. And the author succeeded in conducting interviews with these
students online through google form on January 11, 2024.
The scholarship awardee is Mai Diep Yen Nhi (Nuri). Nuri has a background as a fourth
year student majoring in Indonesian studies at USSH VNU HCMC. The 2023 BSBI Scholarship
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is a fully funded scholarship for their awardees. Nuri was placed at Kutai Kartanegara
University. Nuri stated that she could understand the lesson thoroughly because she had
previously studied Indonesian for 3 years.
Developing Countries Partnership Scholarship (KNB). The KNB Scholarship is the
result or form of program realization of Indonesia's contribution to Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM). This scholarship was published in the 10th Conference in Heads of States of Non-
Aligned Movement (MALE) countries. This conference was held from September 1-6, 1992.
This program is a manifestation of Indonesia's efforts as one of the founders of NAM who has
the desire to collaborate with other developing country partners. The government of the
Republic of Indonesia began providing scholarships for students with potential from NAM
member countries at that time.
However, in 2002 with a lot of interest from the global public, this program was finally
not only provided to NAM member countries, but was also opened to other developing
countries in Asia, the Pacific, South America, Africa and Eastern Europe. The opening of
opportunities for this scholarship program was also made official by naming this scholarship
program the Developing Country Partnership (KNB).
The KNB scholarship program has been running since 2006. This scholarship program
is under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology
(Kemdikbud), the program offered by the KNB Scholarship program starts from Bachelor,
Master, and Doctoral Degree. Until 2023, there are 27 universities that have become partners
in placing recipients of this scholarship program. (Guidelines KNB Scholarship 2023).
The author found data in one of the uploads on the website of the Department of
Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Diponegoro University, with the title "[BATCH 2] KNB
2023 Selection Results (repost from KNB Kemendikbud)" on June 20, 2023. The upload
attaches a circular or announcement letter from Ministry of Education and Culture regarding
KNB scholarship recipients in the 2nd period. In 2023, Vietnam succeed in sending 1 student
to undertake a Master's Degree through this scholarship program. The student's name is Le
Ngoc Long. It was stated in the circular that Long was accepted into the Aerospace
Engineering Study Program (Aerospace Engineering) at Bandung University of Technology
(ITB).
Indonesian Study Program-University of Social Sciences and Humanities-Vietnam
National University Ho Chi Minh City (USSH VNU HCMC)
On their Facebook page, it was explained that this Study Program has been established
for 30 years from 1993 until now. Previously, Indonesian Studies Program is under the
auspices Southeast Asia Study Program, but in 2016 it finally separated into 2 different study
program which are Indonesian Study Program and Thailand Study Program. (Bộ môn
Indonesia học - Department of Indonesian Studies, USSH, VNU)
The USSH VNU HCMC Indonesian Study Program is one of the campuses that is familiar
to the scholarships mentioned above. With the scholarship requirements requiring that
selected foreign students be students who have an interest in studying Indonesian language
and culture, and this department specifically teaches its students these topics, students from
this study program have a very big opportunity to be able to take part in the scholarship
program provided by the Indonesian government.
The author had the opportunity to conduct interviews with 2 lecturers from the USSH
VNU HCMC Study Program directly at the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC on January
8, 2024. The first lecturer was named Ton Thi Thuy Trang (Cinta). Based on information
from Mrs. Cinta, when it was first established, namely 1993-2008, this department only
appeared once every 2 years, with a total of 15-20 students every time it was opened every
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2 years. However, from 2010 until now this program has been opened every year, with
around 25 students each year. Mrs. Cinta also said that previously, there were BIPA lecturers
who were regularly sent by the Ministry of Education and Culture to become teachers in the
Indonesian Studies Program. But with the emergence of Coronavirus Disease In 2020, this
routine was stopped until now. The Study Program and University have not yet contacted
the Ministry of Education and Culture to discuss this issue.
Currently, there are still BIPA teachers in Indonesia who teach through the online
online zoom meeting. And sometimes there are visits from universities in Indonesia, whose
lecturers give guest lectures on Indonesian culture. This Study Program has also
collaborated with many universities in Indonesia, such as Gadjah Mada University,
Diponegoro University, Padjadjaran University, Jenderal Soedirman University, Ngurah Rai
University, Andalas University, Indonesian Education University, Muhammadiyah University
of Malang, Semarang State University. Forms of collaboration between these universities are
student and lecturer exchanges, joint research on culture and linguistics, and comparative
studies.
Mrs. Cinta also said that the job prospects for graduates of this Study Program are quite
broad because mastering a foreign language (Indonesian) is the basis for studying foreign
countries such as the opportunity to work in Indonesian companies., tourism sector,
marketing sales, nor telecommunication translator speak Indonesian, join a company from
Vietnam that wants to expand its business to Indonesia, and become the basis or capital for
researching countries in the Southeast Asia region or research about Indonesia.
Interview with the second lecturer, named Ho Ngoc Hieu. Based on Mr. Hieu's
statement, this study program was founded in 1993 when Vietnam began to open
cooperation with foreign countries. When the Southeast Asian Studies Program was
separated into 2 different departments, the choice of Indonesia was supported by the desire
to collaborate with Indonesia on sea routes. In addition, opportunities are also seen to learn
Indonesian. Looking from the foreign cooperation between the two related countries,
namely Vietnam and Indonesia, especially in the economic sector.
The Indonesian language learning system in the USSH Indonesian Study Program is
divided into basic level (semester 1 and 2), intermediate level (semester 3 and 4), and
advanced level (semester 5 and 6). At these 3 levels, learning is divided into several focuses,
such as reading, listening, writing and grammar for speaking. Followed by levels 7 and 8
which are divided into various concentrations and their practices, such as tourism and
offices. Learning in the Indonesian study program focuses on several areas, namely learning
about economics, history, language, politics and Indonesian culture. Apart from that, there
are also other courses taught in Vietnamese.
The focus of learning in this study program is language, but several other areas are also
taught so that students who graduate from this study program not only understand
Indonesian, but also understand other information about the country of Indonesia. In the
tourism concentration, the practicum carried out is a simulation of being a tour guide in class,
explaining the history of a place, answering questions related to the tour, and others. And in
class, the lecturers try to use Indonesian as often as possible. Apart from that, another
technique used by lecturers to make students interested and familiar with Indonesian is
playing songs and films in Indonesian.
The promotional page used by the university is the website faculty page or panfage
facebook USSH Indonesian study program. Indonesian study programs are usually more
active on Facebook fan pages because Vietnamese people are more active on facebook than
other social media. On social media, information about majors, events such as cultural
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exchanges, and friendship organization also helps introduce the Indonesian Study Program
to the wider community.
The author had the opportunity to conduct interviews with 3 students from the USSH
VNU HCMC Study Program online via google form on January 11, 2024. The first student, Le
Thi Ngoc Sang, is from the Class of 2019. Sang got information about this study program
through the Indonesian Consulate General HCMC's Facebook fanpage. Sang already had
previous knowledge of Indonesia and wanted to go to Indonesia to learn more directly. Sang
also participated in a news reading competition at Sunan Ampel University, Surabaya, with
one week of training time. Sang hopes to have a job that uses Indonesian as the main
language.
Second student, Mai Diep Yen Nhi (Nuri) from the Class of 2020. Nuri decided to enroll
in this study program because she had watched her alumni sister perform Indonesian dance
and was interested in learning more about Indonesia from her interest in Indonesian culture.
Nuri is one of the awardees of an Indonesian scholarship, namely the BSBI class of 2023. Nuri
hopes to become a tour guide or Indonesian language teacher.
The third student, Tran Thi Kieu Trinh from the Class of 2019. Trinh got information
about this study program from the USSH VNU (Ho Chi Minh City) Facebook Fanpage post.
Trinh decided to enroll in this study program after being impressed by the welcoming event
for new students class of 2019. During the learning period in this study program, Trinh felt
that she really enjoyed the learning process, especially with the diversity of cultures that
Indonesia has, Trinh had a desire to know about regional culture of Indonesia in more detail.
Trinh is very active in this study program. Trinh is recorded as having been Chair of the
Indonesian Language Department Dance Group in 2022. Trinh and her dance group have
performed Indonesian dances at cultural and diplomatic exchange events between Southeast
Asian countries inside and outside the campus environment. Currently, Trinh is preparing to
become a translator in 3 languages, namely English, Indonesian and Vietnamese.
Indonesian for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) Ho Chi Minh City Open University (HCMCOU)
Ho Chi Minh City Open University was founded in 1990, and officially became a public
university in 2006. Ho Chi Minh Open University is also one of the famous universities that
provides distance of education in Vietnam. HCMCOU has succeeded in building extensive
connections both domestically and internationally. (HCMCOU Brief Explanation & Brochure)
BIPA teaching at HCMCOU is carried out in the faculty's Southeast Asian studies
program Sociology - Social Work - Southeast Asian Studies. Indonesian Language is one of
the second language options that must be taken by second year students of the Southeast
Asian studies program. BIPA teaching is divided into 5 levels. Currently, there is only one
lecturer for BIPA learning at HCMCOU.
HCMCOU has a Club aimed at students interested in Indonesian language and culture.
The club is called the Indonesian Language and Culture Club (BABUD Club). This club was
founded on the own initiative of HCMCOU students. This club is a place to share knowledge
about Indonesia, which helps its members to get information, learn, as well as promotional
media for students who have skills in cultural knowledge, language, and job vacancies in
Indonesian companies. This club also helps its members to improve their language skills, for
partners to practice their Indonesian language skills. Members of this club are not only from
the Southeast Asian Studies Program who study BIPA, but from other departments as well.
(Ngôn ngữ và Văn hóa Indonesia-Facebook Page BABUD Club).
The author had the opportunity to conduct interviews with BIPA HCMCOU lecturer
online through google form on January 11, 2024. The BIPA HCMCOU lecturer is named
Nguyen Thi Thu Hang (Hany). Mrs. Hany has been teaching BIPA at HCMCOU since 2021.
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Indonesian started to become one of the second foreign language focus choices in the
HCMCOU Southeast Asian Studies Program in 2019. According to Mrs. Hany, there are
several reasons why Indonesian was chosen as one of the foreign language focus choices
secondly in the Southeast Asian Studies Program, including Indonesian which is one of the
languages in the Southeast Asian region, and Indonesian has several appropriate criteria to
choose as an elective subject (alphabet letters that are easy to learn, Indonesian is the basis
for learning more about Indonesia, and there are teachers available in Vietnam as of 2019)
Students in the HCMCOU Southeast Asian Studies Program begin selecting a second
foreign language focus in their sophomore year. According to Mrs. Hany, every year there
are 30-40 students who choose Indonesian as their foreign language focus, and usually all of
them do not have basic knowledge of Indonesian. Regarding the separate learning system,
at HCMCOU Indonesian language courses are divided into 5 levels, but this learning is not
accompanied by language skills. Learning is only carried out following the integration
system. Each level has 10 meetings, with a learning time of more than 3 hours/meeting.
According to Mrs. Hany, to date HCMCOU has collaborated with more than 20
campuses in Indonesia, including Muhammadiyah University Malang, Polytechnic Nusantara
Surakarta, Duta Bangsa Surakarta, Achmad Yani University Banjarmasin (UVAYA), STIE
Malang, and many others. According to Mrs. Hany, job prospects that can be obtained by
studying BIPA can be in the field of accounting or marketing in international companies (for
example the Bosch-German Company), telesales (telesales is part of the outbound contact
center, where a company's contact center makes telephone calls to customers for certain
business purposes), staff at an Indonesian company office in Vietnam, participating or
joining a non-governmental organization (NGO), joining a tourism company, becoming an
Indonesian language teacher.
The author also had the opportunity to conduct interviews with BIPA HCMCOU
students online via direct messages instagram on January 10, 2024. The first student, Lê Thị
Dung (Dina) from Class of 2020 HCMCOU Southeast Asian Studies Program. Dina hopes to
have the opportunity to become an Indonesian language teacher. The BIPA Open University
learning system uses 5 levels, and Dina can adapt to Indonesian after completing level 1
The second student, Nhat Quynh (Pramita) from Class of 2020 HCMCOU Southeast
Asian Studies Program. Pramita decided to choose Indonesian because she felt that
Indonesian had many similarities with English and Vietnamese, apart from that, Pramita also
liked Indonesian culture. Regarding the prospects of choosing Indonesian, Pramita feels that
currently Indonesian is not as popular as Chinese, Korean or Japanese, so opportunities in
the field of work are definitely higher.
In the second and third findings, the existence of the Indonesian Studies Department
at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University Ho Chi
Minh City (USSH VNU HCMC) and Indonesian Language learning for Foreign Speakers (BIPA)
at the Ho Chi Minh City Open University (HCMCOU). Based on the results of the author's
interviews with lecturers from both universities. It can be concluded that the existence of
the Department of Studies and BIPA originates from the USSH and HCMCOU initiatives
themselves. And Indonesia, through its representative the Indonesian Consulate General
HCMC, was indirectly helped by the existence of the Department of Studies and BIPA. The
Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC contributes to improving public diplomacy by fully
supporting all activities held by the Department of Indonesian Studies USSH VNU HCMC and
BIPA HCMCOU.
The forms of support provided by the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC are also
varied, such as lending costumes and props for performances about Indonesia, helping by
providing books in Indonesian, both textbooks and storybooks and financially supporting
Indonesian public diplomacy in education in Vietnam
Jurnal Inovasi Ilmu Sosial dan Politik (JISoP) ~ 101
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their programs. The Indonesian Consulate General also acts as an intermediary in sending
BIPA teachers to the Department of Indonesian Studies, by sending letters to the Indonesian
Ministry of Education and Culture, and becomes an intermediary if there are universities
from Indonesia that want to collaborate with USSH. Meanwhile, for HCMCOU, the Indonesian
Consulate General has never sent a BIPA teacher, because the BIPA focus at HCMCOU is also
relatively new. Apart from that, the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC also holds
traditional dance classes every semester for students of the Indonesian Study Program of
USSH and BIPA HCMCOU.
The provision of traditional dance classes came from the Indonesian Consulate General
in HCMC's own initiative, and was fully facilitated by providing dance instructors and
providing food after they finished the class. This dance class is held every 2x / week for 1
semester. With the system, students will be divided into several groups and they or their
trainer will discuss what dance they want to learn each group. This dance group will perform
at major Indonesian events as well as local Vietnamese government events.
The existence of the Indonesian Study Program USSH and BIPA HCMCOU is very helpful
for Indonesia. Because the chances of them passing the scholarship program from the
Indonesian government are getting higher, with those who already have knowledge about
Indonesia, history, culture and language, it will make them look superior to other candidates
who don't have knowledge about Indonesia. 5 out of 5 students the author interviewed said
they were interested in Indonesia, wanted to see and learn Indonesian culture and language
directly.
In the Performance Report of the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC for 2023, one
of its missions is "Improving the positive image of Indonesia in the working area of the
Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC". The Indonesian Image Index was obtained based
on a survey that considered 3 dimensions, namely tourism and socio-culture, economy,
governance and rule of law. It was noted that the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC
succeeded in exceeding its target figure, and achieved 104.30% success in carrying out its
mission.
Table 2. Indonesian image index in the accredited country of the Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City
Key Performance Indicators
Performance Information
Amount
Indonesian Image Index in the Accredited Country of
the Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City
Total average index of all respondents
4.12 (scale 5)
Total number of respondents
112 people
Realization
4.12 (scale 5)
Target
3.9 (scale 5)
Achievements
104,30%
Source: e-Kinerja 2.0AKSI Application – LKJ KJRI HCMC 2023
Based on the author's interview, 3 out of 3 lecturers from USSH and HCMCOU said that
they felt they had full support from the Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC for their
programs. In addition, 3 out of 3 awardees from the scholarship of Indonesian government
said that they enjoyed their time in Indonesia, and would recommend each scholarship
program they underwent to others. Based on the author's interviews, 7 out of 8 respondents
said there were no specific suggestions or input for the Indonesian Consulate General in
HCMC regarding things that could be improved or anything like that.
CONCLUSION
With all the findings described above, it can be concluded that Indonesia has succeeded
in carrying out public diplomacy in Vietnam. As the author stated previously, public
diplomacy activities can help other national interests, from the economy, tourism and others.
For example, BPS RI recorded that there was an increase in visits based on citizenship in
Lusianti & Azizah (2024)
102 ~ 6(1), 90-103
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Indonesia. For Vietnam, in 2022 it will be at 68,067 people, increasing to 121,879 people in
2023 (BPS RI). This is of course related to the public diplomacy that Indonesia is carrying
out throughout 2023 which ultimately resulted the strengthening of Indonesia’s soft power
in the form of an improved image of Indonesia among the Vietnamese people so that many
people wanted to travel to our country. For the suggestion, one of the Vietnamese students
that author interviewed from the HCMCOU BIPA program, suggested that in the future the
Indonesian Consulate General in HCMC could coordinate other classes such as workshops,
on how to process and learn to make Indonesian objects such as batik, or organize traditional
Indonesian ceremonies (festivals and celebrations) because they are curious about festivals
and celebrations in Indonesia.
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