The University of Gloucestershire’s Business School has partnered with a select group of Indonesian and European higher education institutions (HEIs) as part of a €1m, EU-funded project, designed to address the challenge of developing and retaining home-grown entrepreneurial talent.

The ‘Growing Indonesia – a Triangular Approach’ project will create a series of ‘Growth Hubs,’ initially in seven Indonesian universities over the coming five years. The initiative is modelled on the University of Gloucestershire’s own Growth Hub, a physical space where academics, students, graduates, start-ups and enterprises come together to share ideas.

During this time UK experts will assess, plan and guide entrepreneurial programmes at Indonesian universities designed to support graduates and local communities.

Professor Neil Towers, Growing Indonesia project lead at the University of Gloucestershire, explains:

“Indonesia has a significant problem with the retention of its graduates, resulting in a severe economic impact on the nation. With a population of 260 million, it is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, yet there is a lack of support for the creation of start-ups and an over reliance on foreign labour markets.

“By comparison Gloucestershire is widely recognised as an affluent area of the UK with world-leading expertise and employers, particularly in the areas of high performance engineering and cyber technology.

“Despite this, we face similar challenges in attracting young people to enter these growth industries and make a choice to live, work and develop their skills within the County. The University’s mission is very much to look at education and contribute to local economic growth.”

The project, which began in October 2017, is now in the process of auditing its seven initial partner Indonesian HEIs, all of which are based in Java. This process will continue until July 2018, after which these institutions will act as ‘pillars’ for an expanding network of other universities, sharing the model and replicating best entrepreneurial practice.