Minister Fadli Zon highlights universities' role in preserving culture through creative knowledge

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon believes that universities, particularly those in the arts, play a crucial role in cultural preservation through creative knowledge.

In a statement received in Jakarta on Saturday, Fadli Zon noted that creative knowledge should naturally flourish within universities as educational institutions, eventually serving as capital to strengthen the national cultural ecosystem.

“Continue to be laboratories for Indonesian art and civilisation, spaces that safeguard creative freedom, strengthen knowledge, produce works, build ecosystems, and pave the way for the future of Indonesian culture,” said Fadli Zon during his speech at the 56th Anniversary of the Jakarta Institute of the Arts.

The Minister expressed his hope that art campuses could provide an education that produces creators who are not only artistically superior but also possess research capabilities, digital literacy, mastery of intellectual property rights, and an entrepreneurial spirit to build a sustainable cultural ecosystem.

Reflecting on Indonesia’s vast cultural diversity, Fadli Zon assessed that cultural wealth is the primary asset for building the nation’s future. He also mentioned that culture must be developed in line with the policies of Law Number 5 of 2017 concerning the Advancement of Culture.

Based on this policy, Fadli hopes that higher education institutions can process existing cultural wealth to produce more creative works and increase their economic value.

The ability to understand cultural roots, master technology, build cross-disciplinary collaborations, and utilise intellectual property rights is essential for Indonesia’s creative generation to compete on a global level.

“Knowledge of culture and creative knowledge is vital as the nation’s ability to transform cultural capital, artistic traditions, and local knowledge into ideas that remain living,” said Fadli Zon.