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resident Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo rolled out on Friday plans to improve the quality of 12 Islamic-based public higher education institutions in the country, including by awarding 5,000 doctorate scholarships for lecturers from the institutions.

Under the scheme, nine Islamic-based colleges have been upgraded into academies and three existing academies have been transformed into universities.

The nine new State Academy of Islamic Studies (IAIN) include ones in Samarinda, East Kalimantan; Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan; Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi; Manado in North Sulawesi; Palopo in South Sulawesi; Langsa in Aceh; Jember in East Java; and two others in Salatiga and Purwokerto, both in Central Java.

The three universities reformed under the plan are Walisongo State Islamic University (UIN) in Semarang, Central Java; Raden Fatah UIN in Palembang, South Sumatra; and Sumatra Utara UIN in Medan, North Sumatra.

Under the new scholarship scheme, which was initiated by the Religious Affairs Ministry, 1,000 lecturers from the institutions are expected to enroll in doctoral programs in universities across the country or abroad each year in the next five years.

In a speech to inaugurate the program, Jokowi said that Islamic education had a major role in developing the country.

He said that a number of existing Islamic higher education institutions had managed to provide good-quality education, including the medical school of the Jakarta-based Syarif Hidayatullah UIN.

'Alhamdulillah [Praise God], I believe that Islamic education can play a role in meeting the needs of the government and the people,' Jokowi said.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who has won praise for his progressive stances on many issues, particularly the rights of religious minorities, said that Islamic education had a far-reaching impact on the country's future.

Islamic universities, Lukman said, could play a unifying role for the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.

'Through their Islamic studies, Islamic universities become effective bonds that bring together diverse religious views, becoming a melting pot of various existing religious foundations,' Lukman said during the event.

Islamic-based universities, Lukman said, have also educated those who would later become spokespeople for Indonesia's inclusive, moderate, tolerant, civilized and peaceful form of Islam in the international forum.

First established in 1945, the number of Islamic higher education institutions has now grown to a total of 55 public Islamic universities and 638 privately run Islamic universities.

'The number shows a major contribution of Muslims toward higher education in the country,' Lukman said.

M. Mukri, head of the Islamic-based higher education rectors' forum, said the plan to improve the quality of Islamic-based higher education could in fact be consistent with Jokowi's call for a 'mental revolution'.

'With this plan, we promise to be an agent of change,' said Mukri, who is also the rector of Lampung IAIN.