Campus campaigns put off-limits

JAKARTA (JP): A high-ranking official of the Ministry of Education says political parties are allowed to hold and attend discussions at universities.

Director General of Higher Education Bambang Soehendro said here on Friday politicians may visit and address seminars and gatherings on campuses as long as they are meant as scientific activities. However, they would be barred from campaigning at the universities.

Speaking at a seminar held by the Association for Development and Research in Higher education (AP3TI), Bambang said the flowering debates and seminars at campuses were part of academic freedom.

Antara reported earlier that Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the chairman of the Crescent Star Party said universities had to be neutral from political intervention. "At least political parties should not interfere in campuses physically."

Yusril noted the presence of political parties at universities should be limited to debates, not provocative speeches.

On Thursday, University of Indonesia's student senate refused to let supporters of a faction of the splintered Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) come to their campus in Salemba, Central Jakarta.

The supporters meant to attend the university's Alumnae Association (ILUNI) seminar on reform, to which Megawati and Moslem politician Amien Rais had been invited. The organizers later said they canceled the invitation.

Bambang said on Friday that rectors of universities had to evaluate activities in campuses, including political seminars and debates, and decide whether they went beyond scientific realms.

"It is the rectors' authority to allow seminars or debates," he said, adding the rectors, too, must supervise campus activities.

In June, President B.J. Habibie told 55 rectors of universities to facilitate campaigns for reform but to prevent campuses from being turned into political arenas.

In the seminar, Bambang also noted the need for more schools with applied sciences in order to meet demands of industries and the market.

"We need more academies in science, technology, business and commerce and more skillful graduates," he said.

There are 1,340 universities throughout the country, including 76 state-owned universities which have 26 three-year diploma programs whose aim was to produce skilled graduates ready to be absorbed into the workforce.

Ministry of Education data compiled in 1996 said that 5.5 million students were expected to have graduated by 2020. (01)