ITB to elect new rector on Monday

ITB to elect new rector on Monday

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Following a three-month selection period involving 200 nominees,
the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) was scheduled to elect
one of three favored candidates for the institute's top position
on Monday, to replace current rector Prof. Lilik Hendrajaya.

Rizal T. Tamin, secretary of the ITB representatives assembly,
said the election would be conducted by the assembly at the
education ministry in Jakarta to allow Minister of National
Education Abdul Malik Fadjar, also an ITB assemblyman, to
participate in the election.

"We want the minister to cast his vote in the election and
that is why the election is being held in Jakarta," he told The
Jakarta Post here on Friday.

ITB is the first state institute to offer the rectorship to
the public through a free and fair election. Of the 200 who
submitted their candidacy for the institute's top position, the
assembly has selected three candidates. State university rectors
used to be appointed by the government in consultation with the
university's academic senate.

The three, all from the institute, are Sahari Besari of the
architecture department, Bana Kartasasmita of the mathematics
department and Kusmayanto Kardiman, a lecturer in the physics
department.

Before their selection, all nominees were required to present
their own vision before the 20-member assembly representing the
academic senate, students and administrative staff. Around 200
scholars from numerous state and private universities lodged
their application after the election committee offered the
vacancy to the public in Aug. 2001.

According to a poll conducted among students by the ITB
representatives assembly recently, Sahari was considered to have
a better vision on the institute's future development while
Kusmayanto was favored for his close relationship with all
students.

However, 82 percent of more than 800 respondents were
disappointed with the election since they were not involved in
the election process.

"35 percent of the respondents knew nothing about the three
candidates' profiles and only 12 percent were familiar with the
candidates," Rian Nugraha representing 14,000 students in the
assembly, said.

Rian said whoever would be elected, the new rector was
expected to reduce the high tuition fees and help improve the
quality of education so that the institute could become renowned
outside Indonesia.