LIPI to refocus on natural sciences as it gets new chief
LIPI to refocus on natural sciences as it gets new chief
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government installed Umar Anggara Jenie, a natural science
researcher, as the new chief of the Indonesian Institute of
Sciences (LIPI) to replace historian Taufik Abdullah, signaling a
return to its founding ideals as an institution with more concern
for exact sciences.
Umar, a senior researcher at the Inter University Center for
Biotechnology at the University of Gadjah Mada, was sworn in on
Friday as LIPI's new chief by State Minister of Research and
Technology M. Hatta Rajasa.
In his speech, Hatta expected Umar to lead LIPI to reposition
itself as a basic research institution, but yet establish strong
linkages with other research institutions and industries.
"In this era of global competition, LIPI needs to turn itself
into a basic research institution, yet it has to be able to build
strong connections with other institutions and industries to
benefit the country," Hatta told reporters after the
inauguration.
He said that the country's industries had not yet benefited
from LIPI's research.
Hatta said, for example, that LIPI should boost its
cooperation with the Agency for Assessment and Application of
Technology (BPPT) as an application research institution to
follow up LIPI's various inventions, so that the inventions would
benefit the country's development.
"I don't want any overlapping duties among research
institutions in this country," he said.
Umar agreed with Hatta, saying that LIPI's repositioning would
be one of the important things to do although funds for LIPI were
limited.
"We'll continue the effort to reposition our post in basic
research, in which our research could be further developed by
research institutions for the sake of industries and the general
public," he said.
He promised to encourage multidisciplinary researchers to
benefit the general public, and to develop cooperation among
research institutions.
"We need to create a conducive situation to conduct research,"
he said.
For example, in biotechnology research, biotechnology
researchers should be guided by bioethics, which could be formed
by sociologists, culture experts and others, he said.
He also supported natural scientists to be vocal points as
social scientists were in criticizing government policies, or
giving opinions on natural science-related problems in the
country.
LIPI employs more than 1,000 scientists and researchers.
Umar, born in Yogyakarta on Aug. 22, 1950, is also a senior
lecturer at the School of Pharmaceuticals in the University of
Gadjah Mada, and the university's deputy rector for research and
community services.
Obtaining his first degree from the School of Pharmaceuticals,
Umar earned his masters degree in chemistry at the University of
New South Wales, Australia.
He later obtained a doctorate decree in chemistry at the
Australian National University and was granted the professor
award in medicinal chemistry at the University of Gadjah Mada.