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Eijkman lab on chopping block as BRIN consolidates
As top-ranking BRIN officials began their work on downsizing the Eijkman Institute, founded in 1888 and named after Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman who is credited for discovering Beriberi, the research agency has been conducting research to develop the locally-sourced Merah Putih vaccine, one of the candidates for the government’s booster shot rollout. Work on the vaccine is expected to wrap up in late January.
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The Eijkman Building in Salemba, Jakarta on March 3, 2020. (JP/Riand Alfiandy)
T
he National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is pressing ahead with its consolidation drive and the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology has become its latest target in the project, a move which has alarmed members of the country's scientific community, concerned that it could compromise ongoing projects potentially crucial in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
As top-ranking BRIN officials began their work to downsize the Eijkman Institute, founded in 1888 and named after Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman who is credited for discovering Beriberi, the research agency has been conducting research to develop the locally-sourced Merah Putih vaccine, one of the candidates for the government’s booster shot rollout. Work on the vaccine is expected to wrap up in late January.
BRIN’s move to incorporate the institute into a government-mandated structure requires the dismissal of researchers not on the government payroll, a policy that critics say would result in an exodus of talents needed for crucial research.
Microbiology professor Amin Soebandrio, former Eijkman Institute director, said BRIN-led consolidation could disrupt crucial work in the outfit considering that most research groups have their own decades-long research culture.
“Working at Eijkman is not just about the pay, it’s about getting the experience, immersing in the work and research culture,” Amin said on Tuesday. “That’s why, although [researchers] may not be getting the heftiest pay, there is something that is invaluable.”
Read also: Scientific community up in arms over BRIN's 'superpowers'
Amin said the transition had taken a psychological toll on researchers since there was a growing uncertainty about their long-term employment prospects as well as potential bureaucratic red tape.
