Presidential Staff Office to Follow Up on State University Rectors' Recommendations for Priority Programmes

The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) will follow up on various inputs from the Council of Rectors of Indonesian State Universities (MRPTNI) to strengthen the implementation of national priority programmes through coordination with relevant ministries and agencies.

Chief of the Presidential Staff, General (Ret.) Dudung Abdurachman, stated in Jakarta on Friday that the KSP is ready to bridge communication between stakeholders so that various issues involving multiple parties can be discussed and resolved collectively. According to Dudung, universities possess scientific resources, research, and innovation that can reinforce the execution of various strategic government programmes.

During the meeting, MRPTNI presented four priority issues: the implementation of Specialist Doctor Education Programmes (PPDS), university support for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme and food security, strengthening the independence and autonomy of universities, and the contribution of academics in formulating natural resource management policies.

Regarding PPDS, MRPTNI highlighted the limited and uneven distribution of specialist doctors, the high cost of education, and the need for harmonisation between university-based and hospital-based education systems. MRPTNI also proposed the gradual development of university-owned teaching hospitals as a long-term solution to maintain education quality while controlling costs.

Dudung said these recommendations would be coordinated with the relevant ministries and agencies to strengthen the implementation of government policies, ensuring they are more targeted and provide tangible benefits to the public.

The audience was attended by rectors from 11 state universities that are members of MRPTNI, including Universitas Negeri Gorontalo (Chair of MRPTNI), Universitas Sumatra Utara (Secretary of MRPTNI), Institut Pertanian Bogor, Institut Teknologi Kalimantan, Universitas Brawijaya, Universitas Malikussaleh, Universitas Mulawarman, Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta, Universitas Sriwijaya, Universitas Tadulako, and Universitas Tanjungpura. MRPTNI currently oversees 144 state universities comprising academic universities, vocational universities, and state Islamic universities.