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n an effort to improve the quality of research and higher education in Indonesia, the government has called on Indonesia’s diaspora scientists to return home. However, some think their roles overseas can be of more benefit to the country.

Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir said the ministry had proposed to the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry that diaspora scientists willing to work as lecturers in Indonesia have their academic status attained overseas acknowledged in Indonesia.

“As a form of incentive, Indonesian scientists who have attained the title of professor from universities abroad will be treated the same as a professor here,” he said.

He added that the policy was seen as a form of the government’s partiality toward diaspora scientists who were interested yet still hesitant to return to Indonesia.

Nasir explained that the offer was for nonpermanent positions in Indonesia’s higher education institutions.

He explained that nonpermanent lecturers were paid by universities. However, this did not rule out the possibility of the government providing a subsidy, Nasir added.

However, some diaspora scientists believe their roles abroad remain important.

Bagus Putra Muljadi, 35, an Indonesian who is an assistant professor at the chemical and environmental engineering department of the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, sees his position as a way opening up opportunities for Indonesia.

“I’ve encouraged the formation of a partnership between the University of Nottingham and the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry, which will fund five PhD scholarships within the school of engineering for Indonesian students, where they will be jointly-supervised by Indonesian-based scholars,” he said in Jakarta.

Bagus added that the scheme would benefit affiliated local Indonesian universities, which would co-supervise.

“The co-supervision scheme will also ensure the transfer of knowledge between countries,” he added.

Siti Kusujiarti, 55, a professor of sociology at Warren Wilson College in the United States, expressed a similar opinion. She said she considered herself to be a doorway through which people abroad could get to know more about Indonesia.

“There are a lot of scientists abroad who do not know about Indonesia. I feel like I need to introduce my country to them,” she said in Jakarta.

“Even though I have lived overseas for more than 25 years, I’ve done many studies about Indonesia. Moreover, I used my one-year sabbatical leave back in 2007 to study the social impact of a tsunami in Aceh and in 2014 to study deforestation in Kalimantan,” she added.

Indonesia is home to more than 4,500 universities and other higher education institutions like polytechnics, but 77 percent are still of substandard quality, according to the latest government survey.

This is not the first time the government has attempted to increase the quality of local universities by enhancing the transfer of knowledge and competitiveness. In April, the government began allowing foreign academics to serve as permanent lecturers in the country’s universities. The decision sparked uproar, particularly among local academics.

When asked about the government’s decision to call for Indonesian diaspora scientists to return home, Indonesian Scientist International Association chairman Deden Rukmana said that there was more potential for young scientists to be part the program.

“Young people who have just graduated from PhD or post-doc programs from universities abroad and are yet to hold permanent positions are the most effective target as their time is more flexible compared to those who have secured permanent position abroad,” he said.

He added that probably 20 percent of the around 300 recorded members of the association were potential candidates to return. (sau)