Scholarship : Master of Information System Development at HAN University, The Netherlands

During this spring our study program Master of Information Systems Development has got through the every 5 year validation and accreditation procedure by a Dutch governmental board and we were recently informed that we got a positive judgement on all 21 checked issues. This means that we are really considered to be the leading program in The Netherlands. The program is tougher now than before, because since academic year 2008-2009 the R&D variant (with a few adaptations) is the default program now. As a consequence we accept only students with a previous bachelor in ICT, or maybe other engineering disciplines when enough ICT courses have been followed.

Because of this very positive outcome, Mr. Deny Smeets (the director of HAN Universityʼs ICT department) has decided to make a special financial offer for a few very good post-bachelor ICT students or junior lecturers from universities in Vietnam and Indonesia (we were most satisfied so far about foreign students of these two countries) for studying our 12 months master program on Information Systems Development in academic year 2008-2009. The conditions are as follows:

- The offer is only valid for academic year 2008-2009.

- The students must have a bachelor degree in ICT with a markk list of far above average level.

- The offer is valid for at most 5 students: 3 from Vietnam and 2 from Indonesia or 2 from Vietnam and 3 from indonesia .

- The tuition fee (euro 8000) and all administrative costs (euro 1500) will be granted and the already earlier decided reduction of euro 4000 for academic year is valid as well. As a consequence instead of the normal full package fee of euro 19000 only euro 5500 is asked for. This covers: tuition fee (governmental + university), all books and study materials needed, pick up at Amsterdam airport, housing in individual furnished rooms in an international student house near our campus (with common use of kitchen and bathrooms by at most 8 students), student health insurance on Dutch standards (100% covering all medical costs).

- Students who who think to comply with the second condition must apply to me within 10 days from now.

- The selection of students will be based on mark list, motivation letter and recommendation letter (by dean or director or senior lecturer). All to be sent by e-mail to me. The level of English must be about Toefl 550 or Ielts 6.0, but for proving such an official Toefl / Iets test is not requested. Any evidence or proof of mastering English will do.

- The selected students will be informed before July 1^st.

- In case the selected students decide to enroll definitively they must deposit the euro 5500 on the account of HAN University at the ING Bank in Arnhem , the Netherlands before July 15. (for details refer to the financial statement form).

We can take care of all formal procedures for getting a visa and 12 months staying permit.

Prospective applicants can get the e-mail address of a Vietnamese student who is presently doing the program to be informed about things they would like to know.

Note: The last euro 500 mentioned in the financial form is normally meant for paying our intermediate agents (maybe former students). In this case we even skipped that, but you are allowed to raise the amount from euro 5500 to euro 6000 and then we can pay the euro 500 again to you as a payment by the prospective students for intermediating for this special offer.

Best regards,

Guido Bakema

Professor Data Architectures & Metadata Management

Academy of Communication and Information Technology

HAN University of applied sciences, Arnhem and Nijmegen , The Netherlands

Visit address: HAN campus Arnhem , building Ruitenberglaan 26, room E1.09

Post address: P.O. box 2217 , 6802 CE Arnhem , The Netherlands

E-mail: guido.bakema@han.nl

Tel: +31 (0)26 3658271

Fax: +31 (0)26 3658126

toraja … dampak kenaikan BBM

Hari Minggu ini agak sepi … mungkin karena sebaian teman2 di Hongikamp, student housing for international student di Arnhem – sudah pada pulang ke rumah atau berlibur ke tempat lain. Saya menyempatkan diri untuk menelepon ke Toraja .. melepas kangen sama mama dan papa yang mungkin setiap saat menanti telepon dari anak-anaknya yang sedang ada di rantau. Iseng2 saya menanyakan beberapa harga barang setelah kenaikan BBM, dan ternyata sangat mengejutkan.

Tarif angkutan umum sepertinya sudah tidak masuk akal, dari Rantepao ke Makale tarif baru Rp 7000, begitu juga dengan tarif angkutan dari Makale ke Mebali sekarang menjadi Rp 7000. Sementara tarif dari Makale ke Batualu (Sangalla) menjadi Rp 10.000. Jika kita mencoba membayangkan keadaan di Toraja sekarang ini, tampaknya harga transport sudah tidak masuk akal. Sudah saatnya pemerintah daerah memikirkan solusi transportasi murah untuk masyarakat pedesaan yang mungkin tarif sekarang sudah terlalu berat buat mereka. TIngginya tarif angkutan di Toraja sebenarnya dipengarui oleh jenis kendaraan yang digunakan. Sebagaian besar kendaraan saat ini menggunakan mobil sejenis Kijang, Panther, dll yang mana biaya operationalnya cukup besar. Jika pemerintah memihak rakyat dan berpikiran kedepan, kendaraan yang digunakan untuk transportasi seharunya dipilih yang seirit mungkin. Pada hari pasar, biasanya masyarakat pedesaan akan pergi ke pasar untuk menjual hasil bumi atau hasil ternak yang mereka hasilkan untuk membeli kebutuhan lain. Yang dijual biasanya berupa : ayam, babi, sayur-mayur, cokelat, kopi, dan mungkin barang kerajinan. Hasil penjualan itu biasanya digunakan untuk membeli kebutuhan sehari-hari seperi beras, ikan kering, sayur-sayuran atau pakaian. Namun sekarang ketika harga transport semakin tinggi, untuk sekali ke pasar mereka harus mengeluarkan rata-rata Rp 20.000 untuk perjalanan pergi-pulang. Padahal nilai barang yang mereka akan jual paling banter Rp 30.000 sampai Rp 40.000. Itupun kalau ada yang bisa dijual. Dalam bulan-bulan ini, hasil bumi seperti kopi dan cengkeh tidak terlalu baik. Jadi masyarakat sepertinya semakin terpuruk.

Kira-kira apa yang sebaiknya dilakukan pemerintah dan masyarakat untuk keluar dari kondisi ini ?

Apakah pemekaran Tana Toraja bisa membawa mereka keluar dari problem yang mereka alami sekarang ini ?

EU Parliament

On June 25 2008, we visited the EU Parliament in Brussel Belgium. It was a great honor to see those wise guys who construct the regulation for the society.

Maria Marten, one of the Dutch representatives, gave explanation about all the things that they do in the parliament. Some of us can ask some questions.

we also visited the most important part of the Parliament where all the meeting is held. There is a tribune where all the visitors can see and hear the discussion in the Parliament.

Before we left, we didn’t forget to take a picture :

Trip to Tana Toraja, the land of kings

Toraja or To Riaja means people who live in the mountain area.  This name was given by Buginesse who lives along the coast of Celebes island.

The Torajenese call themselve Toraya, means descendent of Kings.

Trip to Rome

Finally after waiting for a few weeks, we took a trip to Rome. Flight from Weeze(Germany) airport using Ryanair took almost 2 hours to arrive in Ciampino Airport (Rome).

From Ciampino Airport, we take a bus to Anagina Metro Station. The ticket for bus (CIampino Airport -> Anagina Metro Station) and Metro Ticket (Anagina -> Termini Station) can be bought in the Airport.

Anagina is the nearest Metro Station to Ciampino Airport. It costs 1.2 euro per person for the bus from Ciampino Airport to Anagina Metro Station.

At Anagina , we took the Metro to Batistini, I think Metro A. It takes 1 hour to arrive at the Cornelia Station ( 1 station before Batistini). From Batistini we took a bus to Camping Village Rome, the hotel where we stayed for 4 days.

This hotel is a nice place for camping. There are many tourists from all europe and also Asia there. It has also has many facilites like swimming pool, internet cafe, bar & restaurant, supermarket, laundry machine, parking space, etc.

Some people come with their caravan and I saw that they really enjoy staying in that place.