Nadiem Makarim Seeks People's Support to Make Indonesian a Global Language
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31 August 2024 12:32 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Badung - Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim has called on the public to support the internationalization of the Indonesian language, or Bahasa Indonesia. He stated that at the Handai Indonesia (FHI) Festival in Bali on Friday, August 30, noting the growing interest among foreigners in learning Indonesian.
"I urge the public to support and continue our efforts to internationalize the Indonesian language. We are committed to promoting the esteemed Indonesian civilization on the global stage," he said, referring to the Indonesian Language Courses for Foreigners (BIPA) program.
The program, initiated by his ministry and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to promote the language internationally.
FHI 2024 attracted participants from 78 countries, although BIPA institutions are present in only 55 countries.
"The establishment of FHI in 2020 has been a strategic move to encourage foreign speakers to engage more enthusiastically with our language. I am proud to see the growing global interest in learning Indonesian over the past five years," the minister said.
He noted that there are currently more than 173,000 foreign speakers learning Indonesian at 543 institutions offering BIPA.
A series of efforts to promote the Indonesian language globally have also yielded results, with Indonesian being included as one of the 10 official languages at the UNESCO General Assembly.
"This is the only Southeast Asian language (represented at the Assembly). This recognition is a crucial moment for Indonesian to become a global language," Nadiem said.
According to the minister, Bahasa Indonesia has the potential to become a global language, bridging people around the world and serving as a language of science and technology, while also adapting to the changes brought by time.
ANTARA
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