It is useful to revisit here the question of the original location. Might there not be a Blue Ocean opportunity in Africa? Indeed, that is certain (to a degree), while one also has to weigh the general instability of the continent as a whole, the spectrum of literacy rates and where education falls across a spectrum of other needs. A better argument for Brazil or Russia, two of the BRIC countries, seems reasonable. Then, for India and China, which share the region of Asia, the same argument becomes lopsided. To recap an earlier acknowledgment, adding Indonesia in the US gives us the top four populations on the planet. While China will undoubtedly drive the larger region in the near term, he remains a communist country (with all the attendant concerns and challenges). Because China will be such a driver, significant competition has already established market presence. The other two players in the region of consequential power both represent democracies. However, as has already been stated, Indonesia's literacy rate is in the same orbit as China and US (in the 90s), while India remains in the 60s.
Therefore, from both a university as well as US perspective, entrée into Indonesia represents a great new market opportunity (specific and regionally). A relative first to market position specifically, while establishing a strong foothold regionally. Also as mentioned elsewhere, given the opportunity to support the largest Muslim population of the planet, and strengthening our ties to one of growing democracies that we tend to overlook, could prove to be a boon to our State Department. It seems only appropriate, with this in mind, to bring any business plan to the attention of our Department of State; perhaps there is some tweaking or other support (financial) they may care to address.
Argosy, Indonesia, and other marketing strategies summary
Considerations of Economics
The author is not presuming setting any financial targets except to say that it would have to be competitively in line with universities on the ground. Therefore, setting tuition has the possibility of seeming as price discrimination. However, the goods are not identical. It would be an American University experience with an American university degree, but to an extensively different market with different faculty honoring different cultural standards (would we bother with APA - what their standards are to this end currently eludes the author). The market is different, with different consumers. This would be considered third-degree price discrimination; and, presumably allowable and justified. Maintaining the brand is a matter of maintaining our superstructure; our curriculum, our syllabi, our textbooks. So the acknowledgment of a different market, faculty and cultural standards are not a massage of our brand is much as a recognition of her different context (but the content remains the same).
An important part of the entry strategy primarily targets business alliances. Subsidized tuition and outsourced training would alleviate significant pressure.
There was also the thought to include in the marketing package a move in the other direction that all universities seem to drift into (by accepting and transferring as few credits as possible), going out of our way to accept as many credits as possible. There would naturally have to be a thorough understanding of exactly what accreditation we were dealing with. I do not imagine we could get away with it here in the US, but it seems like an attractive idea worth pursuing. There is a preference to have a student transfer in and polish off a degree in a semester or two, versus risking turning them away because they would have to redo two thirds of their previous academic experience.
Conversations of scholarships and grants may also be worth pursuing.
We would seek out domestic (US) Indonesian speaking faculty, or make an effort to inculcate faculty from Indonesia ... in the beginning, likely both. With this in mind, inculcating faculty accustomed to Indonesian pay could have a later emphasis.
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