ITB rector post offered to public

BANDUNG (JP): In a bid to implement its newly achieved autonomy, the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) will offer the position of rector to the general public, an institute official announced on Tuesday.

ITB rector election committee chairman Hariadi Paminto Soepangkat said the committee would advertise the vacancy through several forms of mass media, including at its official website http://www.pilihrektor.itb.ac.id from Aug. 5.

"A candidate must be an Indonesian citizen, hold a doctoral degree and be healthy... Military officers, police officers, chairpersons of political parties, politicians, or conglomerates are not prohibited from nominating themselves as candidates," Hariadi said here.

Interested persons from outside the ITB can submit their names to the committee on Aug. 10, Hariadi added.

In addition to publicly advertising the post, the committee will also accept nominations proposed by ITB lecturers, employees or students, Hariadi said.

He said the initial phase of the election would select 15 eligible candidates, who would then be shortlisted to five for the second phase. The candidates will then be reduced to three in the third phase.

"After arriving at three candidates, an election will be held on Oct. 6," Hariadi said.

He said advertising the rector vacancy was a common practice of universities in developed countries, such as in the United States.

"ITB must make itself more open by, among other things, advertising its rector vacancy, as it may help find a rector who is capable of laying the foundations to develop ITB as an autonomous, progressive and prestigious institute," he said. (25)