After releasing 30 indigenous Papuan students in early May 2021, the Papua Provincial Government this week sent 24 indigenous Papuan students to three top universities in American.

These 24 students are scholarship recipients from the Provincial Government through the Papua Superior Student Program funded by Special Autonomy of Papua. They participated in two years of coaching at the Papua Language Institute (PLI) Jayapura in partnership with Indonesia Education Partnerships.

Head of Human Resources Development Agency of Papua Province, Aryoko AF Rumaropen, SP, M.Eng representing the Governor of Papua said 24 students who were sent this week to the Americas will study at the University of Rhode Island (URI), Johnson and Wales University and Highline College.

"22 students from Papua will study at three universities located in the state of Rhode Island, United States, namely URI, Johnson and Wales University and Highline College for bachelor degree and postgraduate as many as 2 people," Aryoko said on the sidelines of the release of Papuan students to the United States, Thursday night (17/6/2021) at Darmawangsa Hotel, Jakarta.

Aryoko pointed out that the Papua Provincial Government since under the leadership of Governor Lukas Enembe, SIP, MH and Vice Governor, Klemen Tinal, SE, MM is committed to building human resources (HR) native to Papua and has been realized by facilitating the best Papuan students to study at universities in this country and abroad in the Americas, Europe, Australia and Asia.

"The Governor and Vice Governor of Papua have expressed their commitment since the beginning of the leadership to build Papuan human resources and have been realized through the granting of scholarships to the best Papuan students to study at domestic universities and abroad," said the Head of Human Resources Development Agency.

He asked for the support of parents of students sent to the United States and various countries abroad and domestically to help the Papua Provincial Government support the learning activities of Papuan children so that they are able to complete their studies properly.

"This Papuan student is the ambassador of Indonesian and the ambassador of Papua. They are the best students of most Papuan children, who get the opportunity to study abroad. Therefore, we hope they use this good opportunity by completing the study on time," he said.

In the same place, The Director of PLI Papua, Samuel Tabuni, SE said he was proud and appreciated the Papua Provincial Government in cooperation with PLI and Indonesia Education Partnerships as well as other educational institutions in fostering and preparing students to study abroad.

According to Samuel, 22 students who will leave and study in Rhode Island America have undergone coaching and preparation for 2 years in Jayapura. They were given special coaching such as mastery of English and academic and science improvements, especially mathematics, basic physics and chemistry.

"They are also built to build character building. We hope that with this development, Papuan students can adapt in America to the culture there and be able to complete their studies on time so that they can return to the country to build Indonesia and the Land of Papua," he said.

Similarly, director of education and partnerships for Asia, Brook Ross, said Papuan children sent to America to study there have tremendous potential and take much-needed courses for the development of Papuan human resources in the future.

"They all have potential and have a strong desire to learn. In the future, they will build Papua and Indonesia with the knowledge they achieve," said Brook.