Mitrais software engineers will be able to significantly further their qualifications in information technology while remaining employed by the company following an agreement reached with the University of Indonesia.
The agreement sees Mitrais appointed as the Bali partner for the University’s Dual Mode (e-learning) program.
From this year suitably qualified Mitrais software engineers will be able to undertake a Master of Information Technology (MIT) degree through the University of Indonesia’s Faculty of Computer Science (Fasilkom UI). A combination of video conferencing and e-learning technologies will enable lecturers located in Jakarta to deliver classes each evening in real- time to students based in Mitrais’ Bali offices. Sixteen Mitrais staff have been accepted and will commence the program this month.
Mr. Mike Page, vice president of software development at Mitrais, said the findings of the Evans Data Group on software development trends in emerging markets like Indonesia support the strategic importance of the agreement with the University of Indonesia.
Evans Data Group found that developers in such markets are much younger, with a median age of 29 as opposed to 41 in the rest of the world. The developer population is growing faster in emerging markets at 25 percent a year versus 9 percent in the rest of the world. While developers are generally highly educated, there is a greater amount of multi-language skills among those in emerging markets.
Mitrais has actively recruited to its Bali headquarters talented young graduate software engineers from several universities which specialize in IT and are located in major cities such as Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.
In the past those wanting to pursue higher qualifications have been forced to leave the company and relocate to other cities as there is no university in Bali which specializes in IT.
After researching cooperative agreements with various institutions, Mitrais concluded the Dual Mode Program offered by the University of Indonesia (Faculty of Computer Science) would give staff access to one of the country’s best Masters in IT courses.
“We are naturally keen to retain the services of talented young graduates. Being able to further their qualifications while remaining employed by Mitrais will be a benefit to them and to our clients,” Mr. Page said.
The curriculum for the MIT degree covers core subjects in the first two semesters, IT integration in the third semester and production of a thesis in the fourth and final semester.
To register their interest in enrolling, applicants need a bachelor’s degree in computer science, informatics, computer engineering, maths or physics, or to have had experience in IT in another field of study.
Periodically lecturers will travel to Bali to give lectures and administer tests.
Mitrais will install teleconferencing hardware and cover the costs of lecturers when learning or assessment takes place in Bali.