An announcement
made by the Ministry of
Research, Technology and Higher Education (RISTEKDIKTI) highlighted its
Online Learning System (SPADA) to provide Indonesians access to higher
education all over the country.
The RISTEKDIKTI participated at the 2018
World Post Graduate (WPG) Expo, which was held at the Jakarta Convention Centre
(JCC) on 12 – 13 May 2018, as part of a series of activities commemorating
National Education Day (Hardiknas) which fell on 2 May 2018.
Minister for Research, Technology and
Higher Education Mohamad Nasir together with the Ministry’s Director General
for Science, Technology and Higher Education Resources Ali Ghufron Mukti, who
also happens to be the Hardiknas Commemoration Committee Chairman, opened the
event attended by local and international universities.
In
his opening speech, Minister Nasir said that Indonesia is equipped with a generation
gifted with academic excellence. Thus, the state should provide them with an optimal
higher education facility.
In order to accomplish this, the Ministry
will undertake steps. They are:
(1)
Access to higher education
should be expanded. This will increase Indonesia’s gross enrolment rate (APK),
which is currently at 31.5%. The responsibility for this this will fall under
the Ministry’s Directorate General for Learning and Student Affairs.
(2)
Give deserving Indonesian
students scholarships that will allow them to study in local and international
universities. The Ministry’s Directorate General for Science, Technology and
Higher Education Resources will be responsible for this.
Minister Nasir explained, “The APK figure
is not ideal at present. There are 68.5%
of Indonesian youth that have not yet entered higher education institutions. Probable
reasons for this are our young citizens have gone abroad to study or they have
decided to work when they were still at senior high school level.”
“The RISTEKDIKTI is developing a
long-distance education system that will harness advanced technology,
information and communications in the era of industrial revolution 4.0,” added Minister
Nasir.
Online Learning System (SPADA) Indonesia is
an e-learning or hybrid learning system that was launched to support this
initiative. Minister Nasir shared that technology is not the only important
factor in long distance learning, but also reviewed and assessed e-learning
modules should be available.
SPADA products from 13 universities were
exhibited during the two-day education fair.
SPADA Indonesia has courses that are
available online. 4,829 online and open course modules are available for 776
courses that are being offered by 51 participating universities. 14,931 students,
from 176 partnering universities, are taking part in SPADA.
Moreover, SPADA Indonesia in cooperation
with the Ministry of Education and Cultures Directorate for Teacher and
Education Staffers developed 1,268 modules for 53 e-learning or hybrid courses
for the Teachers’ Profession course (PPG).
Overall, SPADA Indonesia has provided 6,097
online modules, which students and lecturers all over Indonesia can use.
Apart from SPADA, Minister Nasir also
discussed the World Class Professor (WCP) program, which is a research
collaboration program. He said that the achievements made by the Indonesian
diaspora of researchers, who have worked abroad, should be harnessed to develop
Indonesia. This can be done through the WCP.
“We are also creating a breakthrough
program in which the Indonesian diaspora could contribute to develop the
nation. Generally, there are only a few of them who return to Indonesia because
they have achieved a lot overseas,” said Minister Nasir.
Mr Mukti added that the WCP bridged the
Indonesian diaspora with domestic lecturers in Indonesia to produce
international scientific publication. Indonesia is still in need of doctoral
graduates to increase its competitiveness.
The Indonesian Excellent Lecturers
Scholarship (BUDI) and the PNTB Affirmative Scholarship are other Ministry
initiatives to increase the qualifications of lecturers.
The 2018 WPG Expo presented 52 institutions
from the Netherlands, China, Germany, Indonesia, Republic of Ireland, Malaysia,
Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Sweden, United States, France and
rest of Europe.
