ITB seeks new vision at congress

BANDUNG, West Java (JP): The Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), one of Indonesia's oldest and most famous higher learning institutions, is renowned for being the "campus of arts, science and technology".

It is also well-known for being the birthplace of student activists who went on to become important Indonesian political figures. The first name that usually comes to mind when speaking about famous graduates is Indonesia's first president Sukarno, who finished his studies here in 1926.

The institute's current alumni congress will discuss contributions they can make to the community, as well as to the alma mater.

The five-yearly gathering of the Ikatan Alumni ITB (IAI), however, has become a target of political speculation, especially given the March presidential election and the subsequent establishment of a new cabinet is just around the corner. Of the cabinet's 40 members, for instance, 11 are ITB graduates.

Rector Lilik Hendrajaya, however, has dismissed the speculation saying that the congress is held only to solidify relations between alumni and their alma mater.

Birth

Since its conception in 1920, ITB has been geared to meeting the demand for engineers that the Dutch colonial government found difficult in its homeland due to World War II.

The institute was established on July 3, 1920, under the name De Technische Hoogeschool te Bandung. At the time there was only one department, namely de Faculteit van Technische Wetenschap.

On March 2, 1959, the college's name was changed into its current name, and it went on to become one of the finest engineering schools in the country.

Asiaweek this year ranked ITB 19th among the finest colleges in the Asia-Pacific. Then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited the campus in 1985, as did French President Francois Mitterrand the following year where he was met by a student demonstration.

Dissatisfaction

ITB has always tried to show its interest and involvement in the community.

This was obvious in the 1960s when its students joined demonstrations that led to the toppling of the Old Order regime and the ushering in of the New Order. It also played a significant role in the 1970s which some students called "The Years of Dissatisfaction", according to Francois Raillon in his book Politik dan Ideologi Mahasiswa Indonesia (The Politics and Ideology of Indonesian Students, LP3ES, 1984).

In latter decades, students' restlessness grew and they became embroiled in conflict. One of the most notable incidents, according to Raillon, was the death of a student at the hands of members of the Armed Forces following a brawl over a soccer game on Oct. 6, 1970.

Protests over the incident turned into demonstrations against the Armed Forces.

The same period also saw the emergence of activists who later became very prominent including Sarwono Kusumaatmadja (now State Minister of Environment and former Golkar secretary-general), Wimar Witoelar (a noted talk show host) and Rahman Tolleng.

Throughout its existence, ITB has always displayed great dynamics, but the period 1980-1990 should be given special attention, given the growing political nuance in its activities.

The "August 5, 1989 case" is one example. Students protested and insulted then home minister Rudini on a visit to open a Pancasila course. Six students went to jail and were expelled by Rector Wiranto Arismunandar.

More recently ITB has taken a backseat and, according to observers, the noises they used to make about democratization and its "fight for the small people" have grown less audible.

One of the burdens the institute's association of alumni now face is to help dispel the image that ITB has become an "ivory tower" where a group of highly competent people are too preoccupied with themselves and have grown detached from their community.

President

The association of ITB alumni made it a point that President Soeharto open its five-yearly congress, including its 1992 congress in November.

The current congress was originally scheduled to be held between Nov. 27 and Nov. 30, but was postponed until Soeharto returned from his overseas trip.

It is therefore no surprise that some people have questioned whether there's a connection between the congress and the establishment of the Indonesian cabinet.

The 1988/1993 cabinet, for instance, had eight ITB graduates. They included Hartarto, Radinal Mochtar, Azwar Anas, Ginandjar Kartasasmita, B.J. Habibie, Siswono Yudohusodo, Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, and Tunky Ariwibowo.

The 11 ministers in the current cabinet include the eight names above, plus Haryanto Dhanutirto, Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo and Wardiman Djojonegoro.

The institute says the ongoing congress "has a special and strategic mission. The alumni of ITB are expected to reach a common perception, to discuss and solidify commitment to glorify the nation".

But what really needs to be addressed according to one prominent alumnae, Cacuk Sudarijanto, is the vision of the association and the institute.

Former rector Iskandar Alisjahbana urged that the development of science and technology in the institute be geared to the future of the nation and humanity. This means that students need entrepreneurship in addition to engineering and philosophical studies.

The congress will also elect a new chairman to replace Giri Suseno. Seven prominent names have been circulating as candidates for the 1997/2001 term. They include businessman Fadel Muhammad, Cacuk (former president of PT Telkom), Meilono Suwondo, Prasetyo Sunaryo of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), Sofjan Tsauri (head of the National Institute of Sciences), Cahyono S. (president of Indosat) and Zoehal of BPPT. (43)