The Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering Universitas Indonesia (DA FTUI), welcomed a visit from PT Indonesia Research Institute Japan (IRIJ), also known as Indonesia Soken, along with its Japanese partner CB Career Creation, at the Architecture Department Seminar Room (14/11). The meeting, attended by department management, discussed potential collaborations in education, training, and career pathways for FTUI students and graduates seeking employment in Japan.
Indonesia Soken is a company focused on market research, surveys, and business consulting for Japanese investors in Indonesia. With offices in Tokyo and Jakarta, the company has facilitated the placement of over 200 Indonesian workers in Japan through language education and job placement programs. During the meeting, Indonesia Soken and CB Career Creation highlighted the growing demand for skilled workers in various sectors—including construction and architecture—due to Japan’s declining productive workforce.
The delegation explained that Japan offers various types of work visas, including the Gijinkoku visa designed for university graduates. Many Japanese companies require professionals in the engineering and architecture fields. CB Career Creation has previously recruited hundreds of workers from China, Vietnam, and Myanmar, and is now seeking to expand these opportunities to Indonesian graduates, including those from FTUI.
During the discussion, the DA FTUI team shared that the Department of Architecture currently has approximately 780 undergraduate students, including the international class (KKI), as well as fewer than 100 master’s and doctoral students, with more than 150 graduates annually. FTUI also offers a Professional Architect Program for graduates who aim to pursue professional practice. Nonetheless, UI architecture graduates also possess the flexibility to build careers in various other sectors, including the creative and technology industries.
FTUI expressed its openness to collaboration in the form of student internships (a 3-credit, 3-month professional placement) and job opportunities for graduates. However, professional internships required for obtaining an architect’s license must still be completed in Indonesia in accordance with the regulations of the Indonesian Institute of Architects (IAI). Indonesia Soken also expressed readiness to provide Japanese language training programs—either online or offline—for students interested in pursuing careers in Japan, with the possibility of sending instructors to FTUI.
Proficiency in Japanese is one of the key requirements, particularly for the Gijinkoku work visa, with a minimum standard of N3 or N2. Indonesia Soken noted that a structured partnership through an MoU with FTUI would help establish a clearer career pathway for students.
FTUI Dean, Prof. Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, welcomed this collaboration initiative as a strategic opportunity to expand the faculty’s global network.
“We see great potential for FTUI students and graduates to contribute in Japan. Collaborations like this open new doors for developing international competencies, enhancing competitiveness, and expanding career opportunities,” he said.
This meeting marks the first step toward formalizing a collaboration through an MoU and PKS, which will include language training, internship programs, job placement, and expanded career opportunities for FTUI graduates in Japan.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia