Indonesian Lawmaker Urges Students to Study Abroad, Become Problem-Solvers

Indonesian lawmaker Yan Mandenas has urged hundreds of high school students in Mimika, Papua, to embrace education as a pathway to success and regional development. Speaking at SMA Negeri 1 Mimika, Mandenas stressed the critical role of higher education and professional experience in fostering progress.

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I am motivating these students to be fighters, not just in their studies but also when they enter higher education and the workforce.

"I am motivating these students to be fighters, not just in their studies but also when they enter higher education and the workforce," Mandenas stated. He highlighted the necessity of mastering foreign languages, especially English, for those aspiring to study or work internationally. As a representative from Papua, he committed to fostering scholarship collaborations with international institutions, aiming to send at least one student abroad annually.

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I am striving so that every year at least one student from Papua is sent to study abroad.

However, Mandenas acknowledged the significant challenge of limited English proficiency among students. He proposed implementing specialized language classes for 10th and 11th graders to equip them with essential language skills before graduation. This initiative aims to bridge the gap and prepare students for global opportunities.

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If possible, these students should be prepared in language classes from 10th and 11th grade so that when they graduate, they already have foreign language proficiency.

Beyond academic pursuits, Mandenas encouraged students to step outside their comfort zones and pursue education outside their home region. He urged them to return to Papua with a strong resolve to become problem-solvers, contributing positively to the region's complex development and welfare challenges. The event also served as a platform for students and teachers to voice their educational aspirations directly to the lawmaker.

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Show that I went out to study and returned to my region not as a troublemaker, but as a problem-solver for the dynamics and complexities of development and welfare issues experienced by the community in the region.