UI seeks approval to manage own funds, resources
UI seeks approval to manage own funds, resources
JAKARTA (JP): The rector of the state-owned University of
Indonesia (UI) wants the government to give the university the
autonomy to manage its own funds and human resources, in order to
improve standards and face global competition in the future.
The university's rector, M.K. Tadjudin, told reporters after
the graduation ceremony of the university's postgraduates
programs that the request does not mean the university will want
to be fully independent from the government.
"We only want the autonomy to manage our funds and human
resources, to make our own budget, and to be responsible for
that," Tadjudin said.
Graduation day took place at UI's campus in Depok, south of
here on Saturday.
The university gets an annual budget from the government in
the state budget. In addition to that money, the university also
receives money from the public through tuition fees, he said.
On a separate occasion Slamet Abidin, head of the
administration and finance bureau at the university, told The
Jakarta Post on Saturday that the university gets Rp 40 billion
(US$17.4 million) in the annual budget from the government. From
tuition fees, the university raises around Rp 22 billion, he
said.
Tadjudin said that under the current system, the university is
treated like a state-owned company which has to follow certain
rules in managing its budget and its human resources.
"Sometimes we have to wait for the money from the state budget
to set up new programs or to hire qualified lecturers," he cited.
The government has to reform the management of state-owned
universities, Tadjudin said in his address.
Universities deserve the freedom to use the money collected
from their business to fund their own programs in the future.
He said Malaysia and Thailand, which spend more on their state
universities than Indonesia does, have applied new management to
their universities.
"Without reforms, the management of higher education may lead
to ineffectiveness or instability, which could be politicized. If
this happens, higher education will find it hard to function, and
will fail to fulfill its duty, producing qualified and adequate
human resources for national development," he said.
"We need qualified people who can compete with foreigners. As
universities are a sub-system of the national education system,
reform is not only the responsibility of the Ministry of
Education and Culture but also of other ministries such as
Ministry of Finance and the office of the state minister of
administrative reforms," Tadjudin said. "Political guts are
needed to make changes."
556 students of postgraduates programs graduated on Saturday.
Graduation day coincided with the 46th anniversary of the
university.
The university also awarded its Best Young Researchers
(peneliti muda berprestasi), the Best Research and the
International Scientific Journal Writers prizes for 1995.
Among the winners were Omas Bulan Rajagukguk - the best
researchers in social, culture and humanity category, Endang L.
Achadi, MJ Hansell, N.L. Sloan, M.A. Anderson - who achieved two
awards as the best writers in international scientific journals
and also the best research in health and medical category. (31)