Universities get forest concessions

SEMARANG, Central Java: Three universities have been granted forest concessions to cultivate 500,000 hectares of forests outside Java.

Minister of Forestry Muslimin Nasution hoped the three universities -- Diponegoro University, the Semarang Teachers Training Institute and the Jawadwipa Polytechnics -- could make good use of the rights.

"We hope the areas will be positively used as natural laboratories for students to exercise their knowledge," Muslimin said.

The forest concessions apparently belonged to companies who had their licenses revoked.

Muslimin said there were at least seven other universities in the country which have received such concessions. (har/emf)