Govt to build defense school

Abdul Khalik ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 03/27/2008 11:52 AM

The government has announced a plan to establish a world-class postgraduate school of defense aimed at upgrading military officers' scientific knowledge.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday instructed Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo and TNI chief Gen. Djoko Santoso to realize the plan.

"It's the President's dream for Indonesia to have a world-class school issuing a master's degree in defense. He has instructed us to prepare for such a school," Bambang told a news conference after meeting with Yudhoyono at the presidential office in Jakarta.

He said the President had asked existing resources be used to help avoid incurring high costs for the project.

"We already have six universities included in the list of world-class schools. The President told us to use these universities' facilities and lecturers to develop the school," Bambang said.

The six universities are Gadjah Mada University, University of Indonesia, Bandung Institute of Technology, Diponegoro University, Airlangga University and Bogor Institute of Agriculture.

They are ranked among the top 500 universities worldwide based on a recent survey by an international education watchdog.

Bambang said the existing curricula and training materials of the military and police academies would be incorporated into the new school program.

"The master's course will be open both to civilian graduates with a bachelor's degree and to those from military and police academies," he said.

"We will decide which institution has the authority to oversee the school."

Bambang said military and police academy graduates would be allowed to join the master's program directly.

The school's curriculum will include subjects intended to improve the students' knowledge and skills in engineering, economics, politics, society and culture, as well as advanced military, strategy and defense analysis.

"The President told us to make the school happen soon and not to think too much about the budget because we can make a virtual university using our resources at the six top state universities," Bambang said.

"Currently, the country does not have any postgraduate school of defense, forcing military and police officers to gain their master's degrees abroad, such in the U.S. or Britain."

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