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Indonesian workers living in Hong Kong may soon be able to replicate the university experience from abroad, pursuing their higher education as part of a joint plan between the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration and Indonesia Open University.

Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said in a statement on Monday that many problems faced by the migrant workers were caused by their lack of education. The distance learning scheme aims to give them a second chance for a college degree.

The ministry and the university —known as UT — are in the process of outlining specifics for a memorandum of understanding to make the program official, with plans to sign it in Hong Kong in March or April.

“Those who are qualified for university could continue their study through distance learning right after we sign the MOU,” Muhaimin said in the statement.

Under the long-distance learning method, students are sent the textbooks and have tutors in their area help them work with the materials.

“We hope that by pursuing higher education our migrant workers will be more independent and know their rights,” he added.

Open University rector Tian Belawati said that a team from the university would fly to Hong Kong in early March to prepare the program, as well as coordinate with the Indonesian Embassy there.

Tian said Hong Kong would be the first project, but it is possible, even likely, that the ministry and the university will extend distance-learning programs to some other countries such as Taiwan and Korea, where many Indonesians now work. This year there are about 120,000 Indonesians working in Hong Kong.

“According to the minister, many of our migrant workers are in Hong Kong, however we haven’t got any figures on how many people are eligible to continue their study,” Tian said, adding that to enter UT, a student was required to have a senior high school certificate.

She said that students only need apply for the university and then go online to select their courses, with university guidance. Normally, a year at UT in the country costs of Rp 3.5 million ($368). But Tian said the school might charge slightly more for overseas students.

Tutors are not always lecturers or teachers. They can even be Indonesian undergraduate or graduate students.

“If they still need lecturer, we will send someone there,” she said. “A student in UT might do their study by themselves, with the assessment later on. Usually there are eight meetings with a lecturer in a semester, but that’s not compulsory.”

She said that UT was expecting 500 to 1,000 students after the launch, “although of course, we will provide service to as many as possible.”