President: Rector Must Work Harder

Banjarmasin, (AntaranewsKalsel) - Indonesian President Ir H Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that the development of Human Resources (HR) has always been a priority in the government's policy program. For that, he requested the improvement of the quality of education, not least in higher education. 

"Rector must work harder to catch up with our lag in the development of human resources," said President Jokowi in Makassar on Thursday.

He was speaking when officially opening the 14th Campus Conference and 20th Annual Meeting Indonesian Rectors Forum (FRI) 2018 at Hasanuddin University (Unhas).

According to the President, a breakthrough by the breakthrough must be done by higher education institutions to produce reliable human resources.

"This should be taken seriously by the Rectors, do not get a monotonous trapped routine in the comfort zone, must compete for innovation, because who is quick will win the competition," said Jokowi in front of hundreds of college leaders attending the meeting in Baruga A.P Pettarani Building in Unhas.

The President also challenged the college to create innovative new majors to answer the challenges of the present and the future.

"For example opening a special Coffee Faculty in it contains scientific study program about coffee or also Faculty of Oil Palm. I think our country is also needed because it is very rich in natural resources," he explained.

While Chairman of the FRI Prof. Dr. H. Suyatno in his report claimed to have run a variety of things to support the implementation of President Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla government's program.

"We have conducted studies that could be input for the nation and state especially for the President's Working Cabinet for the acceleration of human development and development," he said.

On the other hand, Unhas Rector Prof Dr. Dwia Ariestina Pulubuhu in his speech stated that FRI will always support the government program as President Jokowi's commitment and care to the development of higher education so far.

"We realize the era of industrial revolution 4.0, emphasizing the pattern of digital economy or known as the phenomenon of disruptive innovation, the teaching in college is required to change, but of course we also try to keep giving birth to social intelligence and social awareness," said Dwia who led FRI of period 2018- 2019 with Rector of Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) Prof. Dr. H Sutarto Hadi as Vice Chairman of FRI.