UI will focus on developing postgraduate programs

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.