Research, Technology and Higher Learning Ministry along with Educational Funds Agency (LPDP) formed a synergy in improving qualification and competence of lecturers through Scholarships of Excellence for Indonesian Lecturers (BUDI). This showed the government commitment to improve education quality by improving the quality of lecturers.
“In the past lectures focused more on teaching; this has to be changed. A lecturer has to be a professional educator, a scientist that can disseminate science and technology,” said Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Learning, Prof. H. Mohamad Nasir, Ph.D., Ak., when briefing scholarship recipients on Friday (7/10) in Grha Sabha Pramana UGM.
The Minister mentioned two things that posed challenges to higher learning development in the country, which are inefficiency and ineffectivity of learning process. He asked the scholarship recipients to be the driving force of education in Indonesia.
Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M.Sc., Ph.D., welcomed the scholarship programme offered by the Ministry and LPDP which is in line with the mission of UGM to extend the number of graduate students as the backbones of education, considering the role of graduate education in developing research and science and technology in Indonesia.
“We’re all of one voice, determined to advance the country to be tougher in facing competitions, particularly through excellent human resource and science and technology development. The BUDI scholarship can expedite graduate education at other Indonesian universities eventually,” she said.
This year BUDI scholarship is offered to 2,087 students that pursue their studies at 59 universities in the country, 208 of which at UGM.
“There were 9,257 applicants this year, but the recipients are 2,087. UGM has 208 recipients, the biggest number nationally,” said Director General for Science and Technology in the Ministry, Prof.dr. Ali Ghufron Mukti, Msc. Ph.D.