Defense minister meets rectors

JAKARTA: Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono held a gathering on Wednesday with some 160 rectors and representatives of universities from across the country in a bid to encourage them assist in developing the nation's defense systems.

"This is our first meeting with the minister. The objective is to create awareness so that the defense ministry and universities can join hands in resolving national defense issues," said rector of South Sulawesi's Hasanuddin University Radi A. Gary following the two-and-a-half-hour meeting.

Rector of West Sumatra's Andalas University Musliar Kasim explained that since a defense system had two dimensions: military and non-military, with the academicians agreeing to focus on efforts in developing the non-military side particularly in the human resources development.

Meanwhile, Juwono told participants in the meeting that the best defense system for a country was to ensure a sense of social justice among the people. -- detikcom