Communication experts must publish more<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Forty years after Indonesian universities
\nbegan communication science courses, the amount of research
\nconducted and published is lamentably low, a scholar says.<\/p>\n
Sasa Djuarsa said here Saturday that Indonesia's
\ncommunications experts have not conducted much research and have
\npublished even fewer books.<\/p>\n
\"Even translated books on communication written by foreign
\nexperts are rare,\" the expert from the Jakarta-based University
\nof Indonesia said in a seminar co-sponsored by The Jakarta Post,
\nKompas and Gadjah Mada University.<\/p>\n
He said only a few universities have communications experts
\nthat are active in the field and that most local scholars are
\nvery unproductive.<\/p>\n
\"This is lamentable because one thing that makes experts well-
\nknown to the public is their scientific works,\" Sasa said.<\/p>\n
The one-day seminar featured communications specialists Alwi
\nDahlan from the University of Indonesia; Astrid Susanto, also
\nfrom the University of Indonesia; Bambang Setiawan from Gadjah
\nMada University and Jalaludin Rakmat from Bandung's University of
\nPajajaran.<\/p>\n
Low productivity is to blame for the little progress made in
\nIndonesia's communications field, Sasa said.<\/p>\n
To make things worse, both lecturers and students have a poor
\ngrasp of English and have trouble reading books written by
\nforeign experts, who dominate the field.<\/p>\n
\"That explains why universities produce communications experts
\nwhose knowledge is limited to the information contained in the
\nhandouts they give out in class,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Research activities, he said, are mostly done when there is a
\nsponsor, of which there are very few, he added.<\/p>\n
\"The scapegoat for lack of research and development activities
\nis predictable: inadequate university funding. Besides, experts
\nfind it difficult to get sponsors both at home and from abroad,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Bambang Setiawan proposed that universities shift their
\norientations away from producing experts for the government to
\nproducing talent for companies in the fast-growing private
\nsector.<\/p>\n
He argued that rapid economic development in Indonesia has
\ngiven rise to the establishment of private enterprises which
\nrequire communications experts.<\/p>\n
But he acknowledged that such a reorientation in their
\ncurriculums won't be easy, mainly because of the money needed.
\n(har\/pan)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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