Jakarta, Kabariku- Responding to the developing news regarding the German Internship Program offered by PT. Sinar Harapan Bangsa (SHB) and CV-Gen resulted in 33 universities in Indonesia becoming victims of fraud, so Jakarta State University (UNJ) needs to convey information so that the public and UNJ community members get a complete understanding.
Through UNJ spokesperson, Syaifudin explained, UNJ as a State University in Indonesia is always committed to the success of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology‘s Independent Learning Campus (MBKM) program and the achievement of Main Performance Indicators (IKU) for Higher Education in order to improve quality. competitive college graduates.
To realize UNJ’s vision of “Becoming a Reputable University in the Asian Region” and in line with the policies of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, UNJ formulated and established an Internationalization Program in the Long Term Development Plan (RPJP) for 2020 – 2045 and the Business Strategic Plan ( RSB) 2020 – 2024 as mandated by the Regulation of the Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia Number 42 of 2018 concerning the Statutes of the State University of Jakarta.
In this Internationalization Program, one of the derivative activities is International Internship. International internship activities with a large number of students carrying out international activities are a form of activity that not only carries out the fulfillment of the RPJP and RSB UNJ.
“This program is also an indicator in international rankings and a form of implementation of the internationalization of study programs at UNJ which have received international certification,” explained the UNJ spokesperson in a statement received on Tuesday (26/3/2024).
In February 2023, he explained, it began with the arrival of SS, who is a lecturer at one of the universities in Jambi Province, and his team to UNJ to offer an International Internship Program to Germany.
On May 6 2023 SS returned to UNJ to present the International Internship Program to Germany by inviting and introducing PT. SHB and CV-Gen.
“During presentations at UNJ, SS, PT. SHB and CV-Gen assured UNJ that PT. “SHB is a company that is a legal entity based on number AHU-02200096.AH.11 of 2021 and according to them, the International Internship Program in Germany is recognized by the German and Indonesian governments,” he said.
In fact, he continued, SS, PT. SHB and CV-Gen said that the International Internship Program in Germany had been participated in by many universities in Indonesia before UNJ.
SS even said that one of them was Binawan University and it was running successfully. When asked whether this was really an internship program, SS, PT. SHB and CV-Gen declare and guarantee that this is an internship program carried out for 3 months.
“For the enthusiasm to support and make the success of MBKM, the UNJ Internationalization Program and the achievement of IKU 2, namely Students Gain Experience Outside Campus, as well as indicators World University Ranking student outbound International,” he continued.
So on May 19 2023, a seminar on the International Internship Program in Germany was held on the 8th floor of the Syafe’i Building with resource persons SS, ER as Director of SHB, and SM from Germany who are alumni students of the International Internship Program in Germany in 2022 who were asked by SS to convey testimonial of internship experience in Germany.
The seminar then continued with the signing of a memorandum of understanding regarding the International Internship Program between UNJ and PT SHB which was proven by a Memorandum of Understanding between UNJ and PT. SHB No. B 19.UN/39 HK 07.00/2023 and 39/MOU/SHB-UNJUni/VI/2023 concerning Program Implementation International Internship For UNJ Students to Germany.
In the contents of the agreement it is stated that PT. SHB offers opportunities and opportunities to active students from various universities in Indonesia to do internships in Germany. According to the contents of the MOU, it is clearly stated that the program is: INTERNSHIP INTERNATIONAL and not work.
Furthermore, to strengthen and ensure this International Internship Program, UNJ also asked for guarantees from PT. SHB via email message on September 12, 2023.
On September 19 2023, PT. SHB that this program is essentially an internship and PT. SHB provides a guarantee that it is fully committed to the internship and promises that there will be no elements of sexual violence, no elements of physical violence, and no elements of human trafficking.
“On guarantee from PT. “SHB, finally UNJ continues to offer an International Internship Program in Germany,” explained Syaifudin.
He further said that the International Internship Program in Germany offered by SS and PT. This SHB is an independent fee for student participants who are interested in taking part.
“UNJ itself does not have a special budget allocation for the International Internship Program activities. So that in outreach to UNJ students, it is in accordance with information from SS and PT. “SHB says that the International Internship Program in Germany is covered independently by participants who are interested in taking part,” admitted Syaifudin.
The total costs for students taking part in the International Internship Program in Germany offered by SS and PT. This SHB has a registration fee of Rp. 150,000,- which was transferred to an account in the name of CV-Gen and 350 Euro (Rupiah nominal adjusted to the Euro exchange rate at that time between Rp. 5,500,000 – Rp. 6,000,000).
The payment details are: 150 Euros for making a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) to PT. SHB and after the LoA is issued, then the student must pay 200 Euros to PT. SHB for manufacturing approval German authority (working permit) and issuance of the letter for one to two months.
“Meanwhile, visa processing, plane tickets, accommodation and daily needs while in Germany are borne by each student participant and this is already known to the students,” he said.
At that time, SS and PT. SHB explained in front of representatives of UNJ leaders and students that students who do internships in Germany will receive an internship honorarium from the internship site of up to 20-30 million rupiah.
Internship honorarium according to SS and PT. SHB will later be able to finance the costs incurred by students including plane tickets. According to SS, this is the same as other universities that have participated in the program and were provided with loan assistance by the campus.
“Because of the high enthusiasm of UNJ students in participating in the International Internship Program in Germany but they are financially constrained, based on information from SS and PT. SHB, UNJ is looking for solution assistance by providing a loan scheme from the UNJ Cooperative to students amounting to Rp. 24,000,000/student,” he explained.
It was stated that 83 students were given loans by the UNJ Cooperative to take part in the International Internship Program in Germany and the rest paid their own expenses without borrowing from the UNJ Cooperative. In providing loans from the UNJ Cooperative, there is no element of coercion from UNJ towards students who want to take part in the International Internship Program in Germany offered by PT. SHB and CV-Gen, this loan is left to the student’s own decisions and desires.
“To support student internship activities in Germany, UNJ then provides English language, German language and German culture training to UNJ students who will take part in the International Internship Program in Germany organized by PT. SHB and CV-Gen,” he explained.
Starting on October 2 2023, 93 students will depart for Germany and to coordinate student departures so that they are safe and comfortable, UNJ uses the services of Punama Travel for the process of arranging student trips to Germany.
“Upon arriving in Germany, UNJ students and students from various other universities were welcomed and accompanied by RW (German Citizen) as CEO of SHB Agency and ER (Indonesian Citizen) as Director of SHB,” he said.
Several weeks after the students arrived in Germany and carried out their internship activities, UNJ received complaints from several students regarding the distance between their residence and the internship location, inappropriate internship honorarium issues, and unprofessional guidance and assistance services from PT. SHB and CV-Gen.
Apart from that, there was also a circular from the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology, Kemendikbudristek Number: 1032/E.E2/DT.00.05/2023 on 27 October 2023 that based on a report from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) Berlin explained the implementation of the program Holiday job which is managed by PT. SHB and CV-Gen indicated there were procedural violations.
Then the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology, Kemendikbudristek also appealed to universities in Indonesia to stop participating in the program Holiday jobboth ongoing and future.
“As for the condition of UNJ students, no one experienced physical violence during their internship in Germany,” he said.
Based on reports from UNJ students and also reinforced by a Circular from the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology, on 25 October 2023, UNJ moved quickly by sending 2 lecturers to Germany to monitor and provide assistance to students.
Then on November 3 2023, the UNJ lecturer team held an audience with the Indonesian Embassy in Berlin. From this hearing, information was obtained that according to the Indonesian Embassy in Berlin, this program was not an internship, but work.
Then on December 30 2023, all UNJ students were returned to Indonesia in good health and did not experience any physical violence during their internship in Germany.
“In connection with all these incidents, UNJ, both leaders and students who participated in the International Internship Program in Germany, have truly become victims and feel they have been treated unfairly and dishonestly by both SS and PT. SHB, and CV-Gen,” he said.
“We also emphasize here that UNJ has no institutional links with SS, PT. SHB, and CV-Gen,” added Syaifudin.
Universities in Indonesia, including UNJ, were also victims of the International Internship Program in Germany offered by SS, PT. SHB, and CV-Gen who apparently were not interns but instead worked according to findings from the Indonesian Embassy in Berlin.
With this, UNJ views this problem as a common lesson for the world of higher education in Indonesia to be more vigilant when collaborating with companies or agencies that offer internships, both domestically and abroad.
“UNJ will take legal steps to report material and material losses immaterial carried out by SS, PT. SHB, and CV-Gen,” he said.
Thus, this press statement is conveyed as official information regarding the developing news regarding the German Internship Program offered by SS, PT. SHB, and CV-Gen.***
Red/K.101
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