Published in Mind+ June-Aug 2011 issue. Photos courtesy of Sekolah 123
Bina Nusantara (BINUS) has for three decades maintained its education excellence toward nurturing today’s generation to reap tomorrow’s benefits.
Founded by Joseph Wibowo Hadipoespito and his daughter Theresia Widya Suryaningsih, BINUS has gone through many stages and achieved a fine reputation in the realm of education.
Behind the success of BINUS lays Joseph’s philosophy of the “3K Strategy” – Kesempatan (opportunity), Keberanian yang bertanggung jawab (responsible courage) and Kerja keras (hard work). And Theresia added another “3K – Keberuntungan (good fortune), Kemauan (willingness) and Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan (belief in God) – to form “6K Success Strategy”, which has hitherto been instilled in the spirit of Bina Nusantara.
The name Bina Nusantara (bina=nurture, nusantara=archipelago) was given by Vice Adimiral R. Rudy Poerwana (posthumous) with the hope that the institution could become a means to increase the potential of people throughout the archipelago.
One of its units, BINUS International School is a proof that the institution has taken further steps in instilling young generation a love of learning.
The school is indeed one of few international schools in Indonesia that offer under one roof all of the three world-renowned IB (International Baccalaureate) Programmes; Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP).
Through the implementation of the IB programmes and in the efforts to excel as an IB World School, BINUS International School has scored achievements that reflect the school’s vision of providing a world-class community of proud and outstanding achievers.
The school really inspires its students to gain achievements in the areas of academic excellence, innovation and enterprise, sports and fitness, performing and visual arts, and service to the community.
In fact, there are a great number of BINUS’s students have shone the school’s reputation by becoming champions or runners-up in various competitions.
The students have engaged in competitions in math, science, economics, just to name a few. And these brilliant youngsters have risen in triumph with dozens of trophies, medals and certificates. No less interesting, the school has recently placed three students in the
Top 100 for the Mental Arithmetic Quest of World Mathematics Day.
In the field of physical education, BINUS International School has grabbed a significant number of championships in sports competitions of basketball, badminton, futsal and swimming.
In addition to the school’s shining achievement as one of the best performances for modern dance, BINUS International School has awarded an array of trophies and certificates for winning competitions in piano, guitar, vocal and art.
The promising IT programmes at BINUS International School have led many of its students to demonstrate their IT savvy. And many of the students have brought home dozens of trophies and certificates for winning competitions in hardware, web design, robotics and programming.
BINUS International School believes that adapting a good curriculum would be ineffective without the support of highly competent teachers.
Comprised of experienced professionals from Indonesia and overseas, teachers at BINUS International School make up a diverse group that adds to the school’s international ambience. This really helps to provide students with a clearer perspective on the international values.
In nurturing the students at best, BINUS International School has formed links and networks with other schools and institutions worldwide. These partnerships allow the school to engage in a variety of endeavours such as teacher trainings, strategic development and student immersion programmes.
BINUS Group has established a teacher training centre called WiTel (Widia Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Learning).
The presence of WiTel is to develop world-class education practitioners who are kept abreast of developments, trends and methods and approaches in the realm of education so as to bring out the best in all students at BINUS.
Teaching at BINUS is about inspiring one another to achieve personal best. In the pursuit of academic excellence, learning is more than just the academic knowledge and skills. It is about building hearts as well as minds. With the help of experienced teachers, BINUS places great focus on students; commitment and character – what BINUS calls ‘fighting spirit’.
All classes and extra-curricular activities at BINUS inspires students towards desirable lifelong work habits and the school-wide values of being resilient, respectful, ready and responsible.
Teaching and assessment strategies are delivered so that we nurture leaders who are creative, self-confident and principled. BINUS’s strategic alliances with reputable overseas schools help develop the cultural intelligence of the students, preparing them to be global citizens who are ready to make important contributions to the world around them.
The commitment of BINUS International School to being a world-class community means that the school benchmarks using international curriculums, international competitions, worldwide examinations and world-class enterprises. For our annual Project Week, the school offers 15–20 overseas trips to immerse students in a variety of cultures, schools and universities.
Immersion Programmes takes place every year where selected students will have the opportunity to go to top schools or universities abroad to experience new learning contexts.
BINUS’s Immersion Programmes empower students with new social and cultural awareness as well as inspiring them to learn best practices from other outstanding schools and their students.
For example, selected students will sit in classes at top schools in Singapore, China, Thailand and Australia. Likewise, BINUS International School also takes good care of overseas students immersing with the school here. These students will participate in Cultural Immersion Programmes and a vast range of out-of-classroom projects while enjoying their stay at BINUS’s state-of-the-art hall of residence, not far from the School, called BINUS SQUARE.
Participating in Cultural Immersion Programmes in either national or international destinations will give the opportunity to sit in lectures at top universities in not only Indonesia but also advanced countries such as the U.S. and Australia. This in line with the school’s long-term objective, which is standing out internationally as a school with graduates mostly accepted at top universities worldwide.
