ID :
25904
Wed, 10/22/2008 - 08:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/25904
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RI ATTRACTING MANY THAI MUSLIM STUDENTS SEEKING HIGHER EDUCATION
Bandung, W Java, Oct 21 (ANTARA) - Indonesia is the main destination country for Thai Muslims who want to continue their studies at higher eduction level overseas, a southern Thai student leader said.
Assured security and freedom to embrace Islam in Indonesia were the main factors for many Muslim Thai students in choosing Inonesia as the country where they would pursue further studies after graduating from high schools in Thailand, Arwan, chairman of the Pattani Islamic University Students Association, said here on Tuesday.
As Thai Moslems living in southern Thailand were often stereotyped as terrorists in their own country, the opportunities for Thai Muslim students to pursue higher education in Thailand were very limited. Therefore, they prefer to go to Indonesia to continue their studies at institutes of higher learning such as the State Islamic University (UIN), the state Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) and other Islamic Higher Learning Institutes (STAI), he said.
One of the campuses which lured Thai students most are the Islamic University of Sunan Gunung Djati (SGD) on Jalan AH Nasution, in Bandung.
"Thai university students have been studying at UIN SGD in Bandung since 1972," Azwan said.
Many Thai students chose study programs in religious propagation management, communication and Islamic broadcasting, development of Islamic community and Islamic education.
After completing their studies in Indonesia, the knowledge they received during their studies was mostly implemented in their country like establishing Islamic schools.
Each student graduating from Matthayum Plai (high school) would have difficulty continuing their studies in their home country.
In Thailand, at present there was no institute of higher learning for Islamic studies for high school graduates from Pattani.
Therefore, high school graduates in Pattani preferred to continue their studies overseas, in Indonesia in particular.
According to Azwan, the cultural factor never came up as a constraint for Thai students to live in Indonesia, because the culture of Moslems in Indonesia was similar to that in Pattani, South Thailand.
Assured security and freedom to embrace Islam in Indonesia were the main factors for many Muslim Thai students in choosing Inonesia as the country where they would pursue further studies after graduating from high schools in Thailand, Arwan, chairman of the Pattani Islamic University Students Association, said here on Tuesday.
As Thai Moslems living in southern Thailand were often stereotyped as terrorists in their own country, the opportunities for Thai Muslim students to pursue higher education in Thailand were very limited. Therefore, they prefer to go to Indonesia to continue their studies at institutes of higher learning such as the State Islamic University (UIN), the state Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) and other Islamic Higher Learning Institutes (STAI), he said.
One of the campuses which lured Thai students most are the Islamic University of Sunan Gunung Djati (SGD) on Jalan AH Nasution, in Bandung.
"Thai university students have been studying at UIN SGD in Bandung since 1972," Azwan said.
Many Thai students chose study programs in religious propagation management, communication and Islamic broadcasting, development of Islamic community and Islamic education.
After completing their studies in Indonesia, the knowledge they received during their studies was mostly implemented in their country like establishing Islamic schools.
Each student graduating from Matthayum Plai (high school) would have difficulty continuing their studies in their home country.
In Thailand, at present there was no institute of higher learning for Islamic studies for high school graduates from Pattani.
Therefore, high school graduates in Pattani preferred to continue their studies overseas, in Indonesia in particular.
According to Azwan, the cultural factor never came up as a constraint for Thai students to live in Indonesia, because the culture of Moslems in Indonesia was similar to that in Pattani, South Thailand.
