International Journal of Indonesian Studies Volume 1, Issue 3 | Page 170

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN STUDIES SPRING 2016 Year of Establishment Private-Initiatives Universities 1949 Universitas Nasional Jakarta 1958 Universitas Muhammadiyah Dr Hamka, Jakarta 1961 Universitas Katolik Indonesian Atmajaya, Jakarta 1962 Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, Salatiga, Central Java 1963 Universitas Kristen Petra, Surabaya, East Java 1964 Universitas Kristen Indonesia Tomohon, North Sulawesi 1965 Universitas Katolik Sanata Darma, Yogyakarta Universitas Kristen Klabat, Manado Total 8 English Departments in Private-Initiatives Universities The success of establishing the English Departments in Indonesian universities instead of other departments of European languages was also partly due to the program initiated by America through the Ford Foundation. Sukarno and Indonesia was in position of being an ‘in-between’ nation in the Cold War between the capitalist pole and the communist pole. 1950 witnessed the emergence of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) as well. Sukarno strove to unlearn western imperialism and stoked anti-western sentiment in the nation. From 1950 until 1965, the Indonesians became the terrain of these two opposing foreign influences with the internal tools of the nationalist sources. Sukarno’s regime was regarded by the U.S as tending to the left wing, especially Sukarno’s ultra-nationalist vision for education. Sadtono and Mistar reported that the teaching of English language had to be terminated due to pressure from the communists.64 Thomas et al reported that “for political protection, Mr. Soenardjo Haditjaroko, director of the Foreign Language Institute had to state publicly that teachers should not compel their students to study English outside classroom, though privately he fully supported such activity”.65 The result of this antiwestern policy was that English language programs declined in priority in the nation’s educational policy. Ford launched its effort to make Indonesia a modernizing country in 1954 with field projects from MIT and Cornell countering the communist influences. The U.S power through the Ford foundation had launched the establishment of English as the most important foreign language to be taught in Indonesia’s universities and schools. Alongside the ‘spontaneous’ rise in influence of English after World War II, English teaching programs in Indonesia were also supported explicitly by the U.S. After the Americans took control of the 64 65 Mistar, Op.Cit., 72-73 & Sadtono, Op. Cit., 10. Thomas et al, Strategies for Curriculum Change, 316. 170 | P a g e