Socio-economic and religious observer Buya Anwar Abbas responded to President Prabowo Subianto's plan to establish the Republic of Indonesia University (URI). This new educational institution is planned to adopt the model of France's L'École nationale d'administration (ENA) to produce highly dedicated and patriotic bureaucrats and national leaders.
While appreciating the step, Anwar Abbas reminded that Indonesia's future challenges are not limited to producing leaders and bureaucrats. According to him, to become a developed country, Indonesia urgently needs the presence of scientists, technology experts, and reliable entrepreneurs in various sectors.
Anwar then cited the success of several Asian countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and China. The economic progress and global political influence of these countries are seen as concrete results of the contributions of scientists, technologists, and entrepreneurs working synergistically to build the nation.
Regarding the plan to establish URI, Anwar questioned the urgency of building the new university. He suggested that the government optimize existing universities and colleges in Indonesia rather than allocating resources to build a new institution from scratch.
Many national higher education institutions today are deemed to already have strong academic traditions and research cultures to produce superior human resources in the fields of science, technology, and economy. The government is expected to provide full support and adequate budget allocation so that existing campuses can compete globally and bring Indonesia on par with developed nations.
