Alasan Pemerintah Inggris Perbanyak Beasiswa untuk Indonesia

www.okezone.com

Pemerintah Inggris dari tahun ke tahun meningkatkan jumlah beasiswa bagi pelajar Indonesia. Hal ini sejalan dengan semakin meningkatnya minat pelajar Tanah Air untuk melanjutkan kuliah di Inggris. Duta Besar Inggris, Moazzam Malik menuturkan, pemberian beasiswa merupakan bentuk dukungan Inggris pada pembangunan Indonesia. Menurutnya, saat ini Indonesia perlu investasi pada sumber daya manusia (SDM). Malik menuturkan, ketika kuliah di Inggris, mahasiswa Indonesia juga merasakan gaya hidup di sana. Kemudian menjalin persahabatan dengan orang Inggris dan mahasiswa dari negara lainnya.

Tahun ini, pihaknya meningkatkan jumlah penerima beasiswa bagi mahasiswa Indonesia, yakni dari 67 menjadi 83 orang. Diharapkan, upaya tersebut bisa meningkatkan hubungan people to people antar-kedua negara.

Malik melihat, setelah kembali ke Indonesia kemitraan dan persahabatan mereka tetap dilanjutkan. Mereka bahkan tertarik berbisnis dan membuat riset bersama, atau berusaha untuk menulis kabar-kabar tentang Inggris. Di samping itu, Moazzam menyebut bahwa di masa depan masalah internasional perlu diselesaikan dengan kerja sama. Pasalnya, tidak ada negara yang cukup kuat mengatasi sendiri masalah yang ada.

Reason the UK Government Expands Scholarships for Indonesia

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The British government from year to year, increased the number of scholarships for Indonesian students. This is in line with the growing interest of Indonesian students to continue studying in the UK. British Ambassador, Moazzam Malik said that the scholarships are a form of England’s support in the development of Indonesia. According to him, currently Indonesia needs to invest in human resources (HR). Malik said, while studying in the UK, the Indonesian students could also experience the lifestyle there. Then cultivate friendships with the British people and students from other countries.

This year, his party increases the number of scholarship recipients for Indonesian students, from 67 to 83 people. Hopefully, such efforts could improve people to people relations between the two countries.

Malik sees, after returning to Indonesia their partnerships and friendships continue. They are even interested in doing business and making joint researches, or seeking to write news about England. In addition, Moazzam mentioned that in future international problems need to be solved by cooperation. The reason, no country is strong enough to overcome on its own existing problems.

Link: http://news.okezone.com/read/2017/02/11/65/1615732/nih-alasan-pemerintah-inggris-perbanyak-beasiswa-untuk-indonesia

Merger PT Jangan Sekadar Wacana

Media Indonesia, halaman 21

Kementerian Riset Teknologi dan Pendidikan Tinggi (Kemenristek Dikti) baru-baru ini kembali menggaungkan wacana merger perguruan tinggi (PT). Salah satunya bertujuan untuk mengurangi jumlah PT di Indonesia yang saat ini mencapai 4.482, baik negeri maupun swasta. Ketua Umum Asosiasi Perguruan Tinggi Swasta Indonesia (Aptisi) Budi Djatmiko menekankan pemerintah agar tidak sekadar membuat wacana. Itu disebabkan merger PT sudah pernah direncanakan sejak tiga menteri sebelumnya, tetapi tidak terwujud.

Budi mengatakan memang hal tersebut sudah dikonsultasikan dengan Aptisi, tapi masalahnya tidak mudah menyatukannya. Lebih lanjut, pemerintah mestinya membuka kemudahan bagi PT yang ingin bergabung (merger), semisal memberi hibah atau beasiswa menyekolahkan dosen yang masih strata 1 (S-1) ke S-2 agar sesuai aturan UU No 14/2005 tentang Guru dan Dosen. Menurut Budi, pemerintah selama ini cenderung hanya memberikan imbauan tanpa disertai kemudahan proses. Alhasil, merger yang semula digadang-gadang mampu meningkatkan kualitas PT khususnya yang masih belum terakreditasi atau akreditasi C sulit terlaksana.

Meski begitu, ungkap Budi, pihaknya selalu siap mendampingi serta membantu PT khususnya perguruan tinggi swasta (PTS) yang ingin merger, antara lain dengan menyediakan sistem guna mempercepat proses penggabungan perguruan-perguruan tinggi tersebut. Di samping itu, Aptisi juga akan memfasilitasi penandatanganan pakta integritas sehingga diharapkan ke depan tidak akan memunculkan masalah ketika sejumlah perguruan tinggi dari latar belakang yayasan yang berbeda bergabung menjadi satu universitas.

Pada kesempatan sebelumnya, Direktur Jenderal Kelembagaan Kemenristek Dikti Patdono Suwignjo mengutarakan saat ini pihaknya masih melakukan pendataan Selain mempersiapkan data perguruan-perguruan tinggi, menurut Patdono, pihaknya telah menyiapkan strategi merger yang diutamakan untuk mendukung daerah terluar, tertinggal, terdepan (3T) supaya lebih mudah meng­akses pendidikan, antara lain dengan membuka kelas jarak.

Merger of Higher Education not a Mere Discourse

Media Indonesia, page 21

Ministry of Research Technology and Higher Education (Kemenristek Dikti) has recently promoted a discourse on the merger of universities (PT). One of the aims is to reduce the number of PTs in Indonesia which has currently reached 4,482, both state and private. Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Private Universities (Aptisi), Budi Djatmiko stressed that the government should not merely make a discourse. That is because the concept of PT mergers had been planned since three previous ministers, but had not materialized.

Budi said that indeed it has already been consulted with Aptisi, but the issue is that it is not easy to merge them. Furthermore, the government should provide facilities for PTs who want to merge, such as grants or scholarships to send strata 1 (S-1) lecturers to S-2/ graduate programs in line with the rules of Law No. 14/2005 on Teachers and Lecturers. According to Budi, the government has tended to appeal without providing facilities in the process.  As a result, the merger which was originally publicized to improve the quality of PTs especially those that are not yet accredited or accreditation C are difficult to materialize.

Nevertheless, Budi said that his party was always ready to assist and help the PTs, especially private universities (PTS) who want to merge, among others by providing a system in order to speed up the process of merging the higher education institutions. In addition, Aptisi will also facilitate the signing of an integrity pact so that in the future will not lead to problems when the number of universities from different foundation backgrounds merge into one university.

On a previous occasion, the Director General of Institutions of Kemenristek Dikti, Patdono Suwignjo expressed that today it is still collecting data. In addition to preparing the data of universities, according to Patdono they have prepared a merger strategy prioritized to support the frontier, outermost and disadvantaged regions (3T) to provide easier access to education, among others, by opening distance learning classes.

BOPTN Diawasi KPK

Koran Sindo, halaman 16

Pekan lalu, Menteri Riset, Teknologi, dan Pendidikan Tinggi Muhammad Nasir dan Menteri Agama Lukman Hakim Saifuddin datanga ke kantor Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK). Menurut Kemristek Dikti, KPK melakukan penelitian atas Bantuan Operasional Perguruan Tinggi Negeri (BOPTN). Dalam penelitiannya, KPK mempertanyakan mengapa BOPTN yang diterima antar-PTN berbeda-beda.

Nasir menegaskan, kunjungannya ke KPK bukan berarti ada indikasi korupsi pemakaian BOPTN. Namun, KPK menawarkan ada riset bersama untuk memperbaiki BOPTN agar ke depan bantuan itu lebih transparan dan diikuti kesadaran tata kelola yang baik. BOPTN digunakan untuk penelitian, pemeliharaan, bahan praktikum, honor dosen, penjaminan mutu, hingga kegiatan kemahasiswaan.

Ketua Forum Rektor Indonesia (FRI) Suyatno setuju jika ada pengawasan dari KPK terhadap BOPTN. Hal ini patut dilakukan agar pengelola perguruan tinggi yang sudah menerima bantuan dana dari pemerintah bisa berhati-hati dalam penggunannya. Suyatno mengatakan, besaran anggaran BOPTN memang berbeda-beda karena disesuaikan dengan status perguruan tinnggi negeri berbadan hukum (PTN-BH) atau satuan kerja (satker). Meski sudah diberika kebebasan pemakaian, rektor [un haru memakainya sesuai petunjuk teknis dan petunjuk pelaksana anggaran agar tidak ada dana yang dikorupsi ataupun pungutan lain yang dibebankan kepada mahasiswa.

BOPTN is Watched by KPK

Koran Sindo, page 16

Last week, the Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Muhammad Nasir and the Minister of Religious Affairs, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin came to the office of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). According to Kemristek Dikti, the Commission conducted research/audit on the Operational Assistance for State Owned Universities (BOPTN). In its research, the Commission questioned why the amount of BOPTN received differs among the state universities.

Nasir emphasized that his visit to the Commission did not mean that there is any indication of corruption in the BOPTN usage. However, the Commission offered a collective/joint research to improve the BOPTN in order that   the aid could be more transparent in the future and followed by awareness of good governance. BOPTN is used for research, maintenance, lab materials, salaries of lecturers, quality assurance, up to student activities.

Chairman of the Indonesian Rector Forum (FRI), Suyatno agreed if there is supervision by the KPK on BOPTN. This should be done so that the higher education management that has received funding from the government would be cautious/prudent in its usage. Suyanto said the amount of BOPTN budgets differ based on the legal entity status of state university (PTN-BH) or as work unit (satker). Although the university can freely use the funds, however the rector must comply with the appropriate technical and operational budget guidelines so that no funds are embezzled or any additional/other fees charged to students.

Beasiswa Bagi Masyarakat Adat

Kompas, halaman 11

Hal masyarakat adat untuk mendapatkan pendidikan masih terabaikan. Hal itu menyebabkan mayoritas anak dari komunitas adat putus sekolah atau berpendidikan rendah. Untuk itu, perlu beasiswa afirmatif bagi mereka dengan memperhatikan karakter masyarakat adat. Deputi II Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN) Rukka Sombolinggi mengatakan, pemberian beasiswa afirmatif bagi masyarakat adat amat diperlukan. Namun, pelaksanaannya harus memperhatikan karakter dan mutu pendidikannya.

Pemberian kemudahan akses pendidikan bagi masyarakat adat ataupun yang ada di pedalaman umumnya mencerabut akar relasi anak dan keluarga. Menurut Rukka, anak-anak jangan meninggalkan keluarga untuk sekolah, tetapi sekolah yang mendatangi mereka. Pemberian akses pendidikan adalah hak dasar yang wajib diberikan negara. Selain itu, pemberian akses pendidikan modern sebaiknya tak membuat masyarakat adat kehilangan generasi masa depan.

Direktur Jenderal Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Hamid Muhammad menjelaskan, pemerintah memiliki program beasiswa Afirmatif Pedidikan Menengah (Adem). Beasiswa itu bagi anak-anak dari Provinsi Papua dan Papua Barat, anak-anak dari wilayah terdepan, terluar, dan tertinggal, dan di dalamnya termasuk masyarakat adat. Beasiswa Adem merupakan hasil kerja sama Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan dengan Unit Percepatan Pembangunan Papua dan Papua Barat. Program itu dimulai pada Maret 2011. Hingga Desember 2015, ada 1.047 siswa dari Papua dan Papua Barat mendapat beasiswa senilai Rp 21,3 juta per tahun dalam waktu tiga tahun hingga lulus SMA.

Sementera itu, Pemerintah Provinsi Kepulauan Riau memberi beasiswa afirmatif bagi Suku Laut. Menurut Gubernur Kepulauan Riau Nurdin Basirun, beasiswa diberikan tanpa memperhatikan nilai sekolah. Masyarakat Suku Laut tinggal di pulau-pulau sekitar Kepulauan Riau. Angka putus sekolah anak-anak Suku Laut tinggi karena biaya terbatas dan orang Suku Laut biasa berlayar berhari-hari. Jadi, perlu kebijakan afirmatif bagi mereka.

Scholarships For Indigenous Peoples

Kompas, page 11

It is known that indigenous peoples’ access to education is still neglected.  This causes the majority of children from indigenous communities to drop out of school or be less educated. To that end, affirmative scholarships are needed for them with regard to the character of indigenous peoples. The 2nd Deputy of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) Rukka Sombolinggi said that providing an affirmative scholarship for indigenous peoples would be required. However, its implementation should note the character and quality of education.

Granting access to education for indigenous peoples or those in the rural areas generally rob the roots of child and family relations. According to Rukka, children should not leave the family to go to school, but the school should come to them. Granting access to education is a basic right that must be given by the state.  In addition, granting access to modern education should not deprive the indigenous communities of their future generations.

Director General of Primary and Secondary Education of Kemendikbud, Hamid Mohammed said that the government has an Affirmative Secondary Education (Adem) scholarship program. The scholarships are for the children of Papua and West Papua provinces, the children of frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged regions, and it includes indigenous peoples. Adem scholarship is the result of cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Unit for the Acceleration of Development of Papua and West Papua. The program began in March 2011. Up to December 2015, there were 1,047 students from Papua and West Papua who received scholarships of Rp 21.3 million per year within three years until graduating from high school.

Meanwhile, the Riau Islands Provincial Administration provides affirmative scholarships for the Laut ethnic group/ Suku Laut. According to the Riau Islands Governor, Nurdin Basirun, the scholarships are awarded disregarding their school grades.  The Suku Laut communities live on small islands around the Riau Islands. The dropout rate of Suku Laut children is high due to limited income and they usually sail out for days.  So the affirmative policy is required  for them.

UGM Anugerahkan Doktor Honoris Causa pada Dua Peraih Nobel

Koran Sindo, halaman 16, Sabtu, 11 Februari

Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) untuk pertama kalinya menganugerahi dua peraih Nobel.  Penghargaan diberikan UGM karena penelitian keduanya dianggap fenomenal dan memiliki dampak besar bagi kehidupan umat manusia. Keduanya ialah Dr Sir Richard J Roberts yang meraih nobel di bidang kedokteran atau lebih tepatnya biologi molekuler pada 1993, dan Prof Sheldon L Glashow yang meraih nobel di bidang Fisika pada 1979.

Rektor UGM Prof Ir Dwikorita Karnawati PhD, kemarin, mengatakan, penghargaan ini sebagai apresiasi UGM karena keduanya mampu menunjukkan karya fenomenal dan berdampak luar biasa bagi kepentingan dan keselamatan manusia serta lingkungan. Pihaknya juga berharap dengan pemberian penghargaan tersebut bisa membuka peluang kerja sama, terutama untuk bidang biologi molekuler.

Dwikorita menuturkan bahwa kehadiran kedua peraih nobel dunia tersebut di UGM sekaligus untuk memberikan kuliah umum terkait penelitian yang mereka lakukan. Kehadiran mereka, lanjutnya, diharapkan mampu menginspirasi para peneliti Indonesia untuk tidak mudah menyerah berusaha melahirkan karya yang tidak kalah fenomenal.

Dr Sir Richard J Roberts sendiri saat ini menjabat sebagai Direktur Riset di New England Biolabs di Massachusetts, Amerika Serikat. Anugerah nobel didapatkannya untuk penemuan gen-gen yang tertukar dan mRNA splicing. Dalam beberapa tahun, Roberts bahkan menemukan lebih dari 100 enzim pengurai DNA. Roberts pun mengungkapkan rasa terima kasih atas penghargaan dari UGM kepadanya sebagai ilmuwan. Ia pun merasa terhormat dengan dianugerahi doktor honoris causa.

sementara, Prof Sheldon Lee Glashow meraih nobel untuk usahanya dalam merumuskan teori elektro lemah yang menjelaskan kesatuan elektromagnetisme dan gaya lemah. Sepanjang kariernya di UC Berkeley dan Universitas Houston dan Boston, ia telah melakukan penelitian di bidang fisika partikel elementer dan kosmologi yang menyebabkan prediksi arus netral dan daya tarik partikel.

UGM Confers Honorary Doctorate on Two Nobel Laureates

Koran Sindo, page 16, Saturday, February 11

Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) for the first time awarded the title of Honorary Doctorate to two Nobel laureates. The award was conferred by UGM in respect to their outstanding research, which is considered to have had a major impact on human life. The pair are, Dr Sir Richard J Roberts, a Nobel laureate in medicine, or more precisely in molecular biology in 1993, and Prof. Sheldon L Glashow who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1979.

UGM Rector, Prof. Ir Dwikorita Karnawati PhD, said yesterday that the award was given by UGM as a form of appreciation to the scientists who had undertaken major works that impact significantly on human interest and safety, as well as the environment. She also hoped that the award could open the opportunity for cooperation, especially in the field of molecular biology.

Dwikorita said that the presence of the two Nobel laureates at UGM to give public lectures related to their research would, she hoped, fire the enthusiasm of Indonesian researchers to produce no less important works.

Dr. Sir Richard J. Roberts is Research Director at New England Biolabs in Massachusetts, USA, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1993 for his discoveries of split genes and mRNA splicing. In just a few short years, Roberts has discovered more than 100 DNA-degrading enzymes. Roberts expressed his gratitude to UGM for appreciating his work as a scientist and conferring upon him the honorary doctorate title.

Prof. Sheldon Glashow, meanwhile, is a Nobel laureate for his work on the electroweak theory, which explains that electromagnetism and the weak force are two different aspects of the same force. Throughout his career at the University of California at Berkeley and the Universities of Houston and Boston, he has undertaken research in the fields of elementary particle physics and cosmology, which led to the prediction of neutral currents and charmed particles.