JAKARTA: The 2026 Indonesia HSK study in China and career expo was held in Jakarta on Sunday (Nov 1), bringing together 21 Chinese universities, including Peking University and Tsinghua University, and attracting about 3,000 Indonesian students, Chinese language learners and parents seeking information on study opportunities in China.
Among the crowds at the exhibition was Calysta Jacqueline Wijaya, a 16-year-old Indonesian high school student who was exploring admission requirements at Chinese universities. Though only in her first year of high school, Calysta has already been learning Chinese for 11 years.
"I want to study pharmacy in China," Calysta said, noting that she hopes to bring professional knowledge back to Indonesia to help more people.
Calysta is now working to improve her score on the Chinese Proficiency Test, or HSK, as she prepares to apply to Chinese universities.
Her classmate, Richard Dharma Hungnata, shares a similar aspiration. Having studied Chinese since his first year of primary school, the 15-year-old can already communicate fluently in the language.
Previous visits to Beijing, Shanghai and other Chinese cities have left him deeply impressed by China's development.
With a strong interest in mathematics and physics, Richard hopes to study engineering at a Chinese university. He plans to take the HSK exam after his second year of high school, aiming for a higher score to strengthen his university applications.
Their Chinese teacher, Zheng Wenting, who also heads a Mandarin education centre in Indonesia, has witnessed growing enthusiasm for the language.
Zheng said more Indonesian parents have become interested in having their children learn Chinese in recent years, while an increasing number of students are aspiring to study in China. Reflecting this trend, enrollment at her institution has grown from about 50 students per intake a decade ago to nearly 500 today.
From learning Chinese characters and pinyin (a system for writing Mandarin Chinese in Roman letters) in primary school to exploring university programmes and future careers, Chinese language education is becoming an integral part of the educational journey for a growing number of Indonesian youth.
Yet language proficiency offers more than a gateway to university admission.
At the booth of the Beijing-based China University of Petroleum, Dexter Godwin, an Indonesian graduate who earned his degree in petroleum engineering from the university in 2025, was attending the expo to share his university experiences with prospective applicants.
After learning online about the university's strengths in petroleum engineering, Dexter decided to pursue his studies in China.
During his four years there, he not only acquired professional knowledge but also learned Chinese.
He has since secured a job at an oil company operating in Indonesia, successfully embarking on his professional career.
"I feel fortunate to have studied at China University of Petroleum for four years and to be able to put what I learned into practice," Dexter said, adding that he had benefited greatly from his academic training and the support of his teachers.
As cooperation between China and Indonesia continues to expand in trade, infrastructure, energy and other sectors, young professionals equipped with both Chinese language proficiency and specialised skills are finding broader career opportunities.
According to Chinese Testing International Co., Ltd., since the HSK exam was introduced in Indonesia in 2001, the country has established 56 test centres and recorded more than 300,000 test takers cumulatively. Indonesia ranked fourth worldwide in the number of HSK test takers in 2026.
Liu Xiaolong, deputy general manager of Chinese Testing International Co., Ltd., said Chinese language learning, studying in China and career development are becoming increasingly interconnected.
As bilateral cooperation expands across various fields, young professionals with both Chinese language skills and specialised knowledge are increasingly sought after in the job market, he added.
Chen Wu, education counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, said youth exchanges are a vital force in sustaining the friendship between the two countries, adding that China welcomes more young Indonesians to deepen their understanding of China through educational experiences. - Xinhua
