Scientists told to be ready to anticipate AFTA policy

Scientists told to be ready to anticipate AFTA policy

JAKARTA (JP): An expert has urged scientists' organizations to
prepare themselves to face the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) plan
which will be put into operation in 2003.

Samaun Samadikun, former chairman of the Indonesian Institute
of Sciences, told the press yesterday that with the operation of
AFTA, local scientists' organizations should play a bigger role
so they will not fail to compete with those from abroad.

"If we don't start improving the quality of ourselves right
now, by the year 2003 we will have difficult problems, " he said.

According to Samaun, who is chairman of the guiding committee
of the national science congress which will be held in September,
if Indonesia has to give jobs to foreign scientists it means it
will be providing them with money and experience which local
people desperately need.

Samaun said that the Guidelines of State Policy of 1993
stipulates that sciences are part of the national development.

"It means they are as equally important as security, defense,
social, political and economic issues," he said.

Sofyan Tsauri, Indonesian Institute of Sciences' chairman,
said that the congress, which is sponsored by the institute and
the Ministry of Education and Culture, will be opened by
President Soeharto.

According to Sofyan, 400 scientists will participate in the
congress and 139 scientists will contribute their papers.

He expressed the hope that more scientists would take part in
the congress because it is the right place for them to share
experience and knowledge.

Parantopo, head of the Indonesian Physics Association, said
that State Minister of National Development Planning/Chairman of
the National Development Planning Board Ginandjar Kartasasmita,
State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie and
Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro will be
keynote speakers at the congress.

He also said that the 1986 winner of the Nobel Prize in
Chemistry, Yuan Tseh Lee of Taiwan, will give scientific oration
at the congress. Lee, who is also the president of Academia
Sinica in his country, is scheduled to have meetings with
Indonesian pharmacists. (05)