UAI Urges Government to Strengthen Infrastructure Support for Private Universities

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Al-Azhar Indonesia University (UAI) is urging the government to strengthen support for private universities (PTS), primarily in the development of educational infrastructure, to enable them to compete on equal footing with state universities (PTN).

Widodo Muktiyo, Rector of Al-Azhar Indonesia University (UAI), stated following the opening of the ‘UAI Run for Charity’ event in Jakarta on Sunday, that infrastructure support, such as student dormitories and laboratories, is critically needed for the development of private higher education institutions.

“Meeting the needs for educational facilities and infrastructure remains a challenge for private universities. Therefore, government support is highly anticipated, particularly for infrastructure development programmes such as student dormitories or laboratories,” he said.

According to Widodo, laboratories are one of the facilities requiring significant investment in higher education delivery. Consequently, government support is deemed essential to improve the quality of teaching and research within private universities.

“It is hoped that laboratories in private universities can be facilitated more optimally,” he added.

UAI noted that while partial cooperation has been established with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora), broader support is still required. Widodo pointed out that self-funded capacities are insufficient to cover all campus development needs, especially the construction of high-cost educational facilities.

Therefore, he stated, the government is expected to introduce policies that provide greater opportunities for private universities to obtain infrastructure assistance. Widodo assessed that funding relying solely on student contributions would not be enough to sustain the comprehensive financing of campus infrastructure development.

According to Widodo, increasing support for private universities will not only strengthen the quality of national higher education but also create wider opportunities for private campuses to produce highly competitive and capable graduates.