Govt forms teams to curb academic titles

Govt forms teams to curb academic titles

JAKARTA (JP): The government followed up its commitment to
cleanup dubious educational institutions by forming three special
teams to regulate the awarding of academic titles.

Ministry of National Education's Director General of Higher
Education, Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro, in a statement here on
Monday said the teams were charged with various specific tasks
including drafting a bill law on the presentation of academic
titles.

They will only have about two weeks to complete their work as
a deadline of Feb. 15 has been set.

The head of the Coordinating Body for Private College, Ronny
Nitibaskara, will lead the team assigned to draft the bill.

Another team led by Suprodjo Pusposutardjo, director of
academic facilities development in the ministry, will set up
procedures for obtaining degrees.

Eko Budihardjo, rector of the Diponegoro University in
Semarang, has been assigned with disseminating information on the
guidelines and procedures setup by the other two teams.

Each of the three team leaders will choose another two or
three people to assist them in their work.

Establishment of the three teams was agreed last month
following a meeting between Minister of National Education Yahya
Muhaimin with 19 rectors.

The ministry is clamping down on the mushrooming number of
private educational institutions with dubious reputations. The
government has also said it would like to limit the flagrant use
of academic titles often found in the public.(04)