State universities offer more places

State universities offer more places

JAKARTA (JP): State universities in the Western part of
Indonesia will be offering more places in the next academic year,
but at the same time they are also tightening up entrance tests.

M.K. Tadjudin, rector of the University of Indonesia in
Jakarta and chief coordinator for enrollment at 16 state
universities in Western Indonesia, said that most of the
additional seats will be for economics studies, Antara reported.

A meeting involving the rectors of 16 state universities in
Pontianak last week agreed that together they will be admitting
25,000 new students in 1996, with 13,000 for natural sciences
studies and 12,000 for social sciences studies.

A number of rectors during the meeting said they have
bolstered their economic studies department to provide for the
growing demand for economists and accountants, Tadjudin said.

The meeting at the Tanjungpura University was held to prepare
for this year's enrollment and the entrance tests, which will be
held in June.

Every year, there is fierce competition for the limited seats
at state universities, which besides boasting better academic
facilities and higher prestige, also charge lower tuition fees,
being subsidized by the government. Last year, 89 state
universities selected only 63,090 new students from the 412,638
who applied and took the tests.

The 89 state universities are divided into three groups on
geographical lines: western, central and eastern Indonesia.

The western group includes the University of Syah Kuala in
Banda Aceh, Padjadjaran University in Bandung, the Teachers
Training Institute (IKIP) in Bandung, the University of
Tanjungpura in Pontianak, the University of Airlangga in
Surabaya, the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, IKIP Jakarta,
the University of Sriwijaya in Palembang, the University of
Andalas in Padang, the Bandung Institute of Technology and the
Bogor Institute of Agriculture.

Tadjudin said the meeting agreed that, beginning this year, in
addition to the three tests measuring basic skills, natural
science and social sciences, applicants must take a fourth test:
in the Indonesian and English languages.

He said it is important that university students master both
languages in order to be able to master the subjects they are
studying.

The entrance tests for the Western region have been scheduled
for June 18 and 19 and the results will be announced on July 27.
(emb)