resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Indonesia International Islamic University (UIII) in Depok, West Java, on Tuesday.
The construction of the university is to follow up Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No.57/2016, which was signed by Jokowi two years ago.
“Hopefully, ideas that are born on this campus will be able to help our community speed up welfare improvements,” Jokowi said on Tuesday.
The President further said that the government had allocated Rp 700 billion (US$50.4 million) for the construction.
The university is expected to be completed in four years. However, Jokowi hoped that students could start using parts of the building next year.
Several ministers and local officials attended the ceremony, including Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Mohamad Nasir, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung and West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan.
“We are optimistic that President Jokowi's decision to prioritize the construction of UIII will make Indonesia more attractive to foreign students who want learn more about Islam,” Lukman said. (dpk/ebf)
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