The Jakarta Post
“Change” might be just a word of six letters to some, but to the University of Indonesia’s rector Gumilar Rusliwa Somantri, it’s a lifetime inspiration that keeps him moving forward.JP/P.J.LEOSaying he has always been intrigued by most Indonesians who feel satisfied with the same old situation, Gumilar, the youngest rector in the university’s history, is making giant steps in his institution, which he hopes will create a domino effect on society. “What concerns me is that our people tend to be so inward-looking — we don’t feel it’s necessary to compete [with other nations] and we’re quite satisfied with the not-so-great current situation,” says the 47-year-old professor who was born in Tasikmalaya, West Java. “We don’t realize we have many rough ‘diamonds’ in Indonesia — smart and talented young people. If we could polish these ‘diamonds’, then we coul...