UI will focus on developing postgraduate programs

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Although the University of Indonesia (UI) secured a slew of applicants for its three year non-degree programs, it would focus to develop postgraduate programs in line with the its target to become a research university, an official said.

"Postgraduate programs will top our priorities in the near future than non-degree programs," said Diennaryati Tjokro, the UI spokeswoman.

Diennaryati revealed that its emphasis on postgraduate programs would enable the university to pay much attention to research activities.

"Non-degree programs are strongly related to occupations. That's why those programs will only be maintained as long as they are consistent with the university's priorities," Diennaryati told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Another official, Martani Huseini, revealed that greater leeway for postgraduate programs would enable the university to deliver innovations related to the development of the respective studies.

"The university must boost its postgraduate programs, otherwise it will fail to achieve a reputable status as an intellectually excellent research university," said Martani, who is also dean of the School of Social and Political Science (FISIP).

Non-degree programs, he said, must be reduced to keep the university in focus despite rising interest from high school graduates to take UI's non-degree programs, also known as the diploma program.

"In my school, for example, the broadcasting program had over 6,500 applicants this year, while only 380 seats are available," he said.

Non-degree programs (D3) are among UI's cash cows as the students are required to pay higher tuition fees than those who study at regular undergraduate programs (S1).

The tuition fee for an undergraduate student is between Rp 1.2 million and Rp 1.7 million per semester, while a student at a non-degree program should pay Rp 3.5 million per semester. The fee charged in the postgraduate programs ranges from between Rp 3.2 million up to Rp 10 million.

UI had six schools which provide 33 diploma programs with 3,366 new students last year. The students of diploma programs were still slightly below the undergraduate students totaling 4,033 of 12 schools.

Financing problems became a major issue following the endowment of the new status for UI as a state-owned incorporated entity in 2000.

The new status requires the university to seek other financial sources to fund its academic and research activities because the government will begin lowering the level of its subsidies in 2005.

"However, we cannot simply put all the costs on the students as it could taint UI's image," Martani contended.

Instead, Martani who is also one of the four top nominees for the university's rector, suggested that the university eye alternative financing.

Martani alluded to a number of ventures owned by the university which could be managed to generate cash for the university's coffers.

"For instance, we could make assets owned by UI like TV or Internet kiosks to become commercial ventures," Martani said, adding that the university has been allowed, by a presidential decree, to generate money from unconventional sources.