LSU Goes Global Through Launch of ‘LSU Engineering in Indonesia'

This week, the LSU College of Engineering expanded its curriculum to classrooms in Jakarta, with the launch of “LSU Engineering in Indonesia.”

The program—which stems from a partnership between the College, Lonestar Community College in Texas and Sampoerna University in Jakarta—will allow eligible LSU students, as well as LoneStar Community College students who satisfactorily complete the pre-engineering associate degree program there and meet LSU transfer requirements, to take engineering courses on the Sampoerna campus. Eventually, students at Sampoerna will be able to take LSU courses on the Baton Rouge campus, too.

The first set of courses began Monday, and 23 total students are enrolled. The classes will be held on an eight-week, quarter-based calendar throughout most of the year and will be taught in English by part-time and full-time LSU engineering faculty. All academic credit earned abroad will be applicable to the participant’s bachelor’s degree.

For now, only mechanical engineering courses are being offered, but curriculum will later be expanded to include computer science, electrical and industrial engineering.

“It’s been a goal of the LSU College of Engineering to enhance its global profile and provide international teaching and learning opportunities to our faculty and students,” said Sherif Ishak, interim associate dean of academic affairs. “At the same time, it fills a gap in the education market by responding to the demand for foreign higher education that exists in many parts of the world.”

Not to mention, he added, there are great job opportunities for LSU graduates there.
Indonesia’s petrochemical industry is expected to expand 30 to 40 percent in the next three to five years, he said, so there’s an increased need for computer science, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineering graduate to fill the workforce gaps.

“We’re excited the first classes are now underway,” Ishak said. “And we look forward to making the program bigger and better with time.”

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For more information about the program email lsujakarta@eng.lsu.edu.