Commission X: Change in terminology to 'engineering' is a positive step towards strengthening education
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Lalu Hadrian Irfani, has stated that the government’s decision to change the nomenclature of study programmes from “teknik” to “rekayasa” is a positive step towards strengthening the higher education system.
Lalu Hadrian Irfani said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday that the use of the term “rekayasa” is more relevant and in line with the terms used in the global academic community.
“The change in nomenclature from ‘teknik’ to ‘rekayasa’ is a good step to align the terms we use with international terminology, namely engineering,” he said.
The legislator, who is in charge of education affairs, believes that this change in nomenclature is important so that Indonesian graduates can more easily adapt and have competitiveness at the global level.
However, he emphasised that this policy should not be mandatory. Higher education institutions should still be given space and freedom to adjust its implementation to the conditions, characteristics, and readiness of each institution.
He hopes that with this change, research and innovation in Indonesia will continue to develop.
“The most important thing is not just the change of name, but how universities continue to improve the quality of technical or engineering education so that they can produce innovations that are beneficial to society and national development,” he said.
In addition, he encouraged the government not to stop at the change in nomenclature, but also to provide real support for various research results, innovations, and works produced by universities.
“The government must be present to support the development of research, innovation, and the works of the nation’s children. In this way, technical or engineering education will truly become a driving force for the progress of industry, technology, and national independence,” he said.
In an official statement on Friday, the Ministry of Education and Culture explained that the use of the term rekayasa refers to the official equivalent of engineering in Indonesian, as stated in the Great Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI).
“In the KBBI, rekayasa is defined as the application of scientific principles in the design, construction, and operation of systems, technologies, or constructions effectively and efficiently,” the statement said.
The Ministry of Education and Culture emphasised that the use of the term rekayasa is not intended to completely replace the term teknik, which has been widely used.
“There is no need to make changes to the names of existing technical study programmes. There is no policy that requires universities to change the nomenclature from ‘teknik’ to ‘rekayasa’,” the statement continued.
The Ministry of Education and Culture also stated that universities are given the freedom to choose the nomenclature of study programmes that best suits the character of the science, curriculum approach, development of scientific disciplines, and the needs of academic development of each institution.