Mendiktisaintek: Study Programmes to Be Developed According to Needs, Not Closed

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Mendiktisaintek) Brian Yuliarto has emphasised that university study programmes will be developed in line with needs and relevance, rather than being closed.

He made this statement in response to concerns that the government would shut down irrelevant programmes, which surfaced some time ago.

The Minister cited the field of electrical engineering as an example, where industry now requires the integration of internet-based technology or the Internet of Things (IoT).

“Previously, there was no IoT; now there is IoT. So, instead of closing programmes, we are encouraging collaboration with universities to ensure these programmes regularly update their relevance to advancements in science and technology,” he said when met in Jakarta on Wednesday.

According to Brian, the continuous development of science and technology also gives rise to new industries, which must receive greater attention from higher education institutions.

He continued that new industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) should serve as references for universities, making the offered study programmes increasingly relevant.

“Thus, developments in industry and technology should become references for every study programme in Indonesia to conduct ongoing improvements. This is what is known as continuous improvement,” stated the Mendiktisaintek.

He revealed that in advanced countries, such updates to knowledge are commonplace, occurring every four or even two years.

“For instance, with AI, how should we approach it? There is IoT, and in the future, quantum computing. We must adapt so that when graduates enter the workforce, they align with technological advancements that will be in use four years from now. Rather than closing programmes, we are developing them,” said Brian Yuliarto.