Wardiman installs Asman as new UI rector

DEPOK, West Java (JP): Asman Boedisantoso Ranakusuma has replaced M.K. Tadjudin as the new rector of the University of Indonesia (UI), taking over the management of 32,600 students and a faculty of 2,561.

Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro installed Asman at the university's campus here Saturday in a ceremony attended by former rector and Minister of Health Sujudi and prominent alumni, including former cabinet ministers Emil Salim and Fuad Hassan.

In his speech, Wardiman praised the university for developing a professional faculty and management.

"Thanks to the help of many agencies, university leaders have developed (their students) well as shown by, among other things, the decline in the number of demonstrations that could trigger public unrest," Wardiman said.

"Campuses have been maintained as scientific institutions ... (and have kept students) away from practical politics," he said.

"As citizens, students have the opportunity to participate in politics outside of their campuses through social and political organizations... there is nothing that bans students from joining organizations outside of campuses," he said.

Wardiman pointed out that with regard to the current economic crisis gripping the country, all members of the university should play a more active role in bringing improvements to the institution.

Asman, born in Magelang on Jan. 28, 1946, entered UI in 1964 and graduated six years later as a general medical practitioner.

He then continued at UI by studying internal medicine, and had the opportunity to study diabetes mellitus in Japan. He graduated with his doctorate in 1986.

One of the oldest and most prestigious colleges in Indonesia, UI is striving to become a "campus of information" in order to help prepare its students for the 21st century.

The university is developing a homepage on the Internet as part of its efforts to reach out to the public. It can be accessed at http://www.ui.ac.id.

The website for its post graduate program is http://www.pps.ui.ac.id. (swe)