In brief
The 2026 Indonesia HSK study and career expo in Jakarta brought together 21 Chinese universities and roughly 3,000 Indonesian students and parents. Highlighting personal stories, the event underscored Chinese language learning as a gateway to higher education and career opportunities. Key participants include 16‑year‑old Calysta Wijaya and graduate Dexter Godwin, illustrating pathways from language proficiency to study abroad and professional advancement.
On Sunday, Nov. 2, the 2026 Indonesia HSK study and career expo opened the gates to Chinese universities in Jakarta, drawing an estimated 3,000 Indonesian students, language learners and parents eager to learn about study options in China.
Representatives from 21 Chinese institutions, including Peking University and Tsinghua University, set up booths that displayed admission criteria, campus life and career prospects for international students.
Among the onsite crowd was 16‑year‑old Calysta Jacqueline Wijaya, a high‑school freshman who has been studying Chinese for 11 years and is preparing to take the HSK exam to apply to Chinese universities.
Calysta said:
I want to study pharmacy in China; I hope to bring professional knowledge back to Indonesia to help more people.
Her classmate, 15‑year‑old Richard Dharma Hungnata, who learned Chinese from primary school, also plans to study engineering in China and intends to sit for the HSK after his second year of high school.
Zheng Wenting, a Mandarin teacher who runs a Chinese language centre in Indonesia, told Xinhua that parents are increasingly enrolling children in Chinese courses, with enrolments at her centre rising from about 50 a decade ago to nearly 500 today.
Showcasing the practical value of language skills, the expo highlighted Dexter Godwin, an Indonesian graduate who earned a petroleum engineering degree in China and now works in Indonesia’s oil and gas sector.
Godwin’s story demonstrates how Chinese proficiency can open doors to both academic and professional pathways abroad, returning expertise to the homeland.
While no other outlet reported the event in detail, Xinhua’s coverage remains the sole source of the expo’s specifics.
