Bappidsus and MRPTNI Discuss Five National Strategic Issues, Including Free Nutritious Meals Programme
The Special Development and Investment Control Agency (Bappidsus) held its first National Discussion with the Council of Rectors of Indonesian State Universities (MRPTNI), addressing five national strategic issues.
One of the five issues concerns the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme, which was discussed when the two institutions met in Jakarta on Wednesday evening.
Bappidsus head Aris Marsudiyanto led the meeting, attended by 19 rectors of state universities.
“Today I received an audience from the Council of Rectors of Indonesian State Universities. Twenty were invited, but Universitas Gadjah Mada could not attend, so 19 were present instead of 20,” said Aris.
He explained that the meeting, which lasted nearly five hours, heard directly the ideas and input from the universities regarding these national strategic issues.
“State universities are, after all, a home for brilliant minds to create golden generations,” said Aris.
MRPTNI chairman Professor Edwart Wolok said there were five strategic issues discussed in the National Discussion Chapter 1 with Bappidsus.
The five strategic issues, he said, firstly concern health, including health education patterns, particularly specialist doctor education programmes and sub-specialist doctor education programmes.
“The final one concerns research for the civilisation of the archipelago,” said Wolok.
The rector of Gorontalo University said that at the meeting, the rectors conveyed their thoughts and ideas regarding the strategic issues currently at hand.
“The essence is how we can together convey our thoughts and ideas not only to enhance the capacity and capability of state universities, but more than that, how we jointly respond to the nation’s issues and problems today, and how state universities can take on a role in line with their function to contribute to the success of these programmes,” he said.
Wolok added that the National Discussion Chapter 1 with Bappidsus is a follow-up to the National Dialogue event opened by President Prabowo some time ago.