Gov’t Launches Scholarship Programs for 1,000 Lecturers

Director General for Science, Technology and Higher Education at the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Ali Ghufron Mukti delivers a statement to the reporters on Monday (5/6), in Jakarta

In a bid to increase the number of competitive educators, lecturers, and scientists in the future, the Government through Directorate General of Science & Technology Resource and Higher Education of the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education launched scholarship programs for lecturers at state and private universities that consist of three schemes.

“The three schemes are; Domestic Postgraduate Education Scholarship (BPP-DN), Affirmation Scholarships for New State Universities (PTNB), and Master of Education Towards Doctoral Scholarship Program for Excellent Undergraduate (PMDSU),” Director General for Science, Technology and Higher Education at the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Ali Ghufron Mukti told the reporters on Monday (5/6), in Jakarta.

Ali Ghufron said that a total of 1,000 scholarships are offered in BPP-DN program, 150 are offered in PTNB program, and 250 scholarships are offered in PMDSU program.

BPP-DN would be given to lecturers in the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education who will take doctoral degree. Meanwhile, PTNB for master degree will be given to lecturers who already have National Lecturers Identification Number (NIDN) or National Educators Identification Number (NUPN).

Ghufron added that PMDSU program would be given to fresh graduates who meet the qualifications to take doctoral degree which takes four years to complete. Under the programs, excellent undergraduates are required to write and publish at least two research papers in international journals.

Ghufron also said that the PMDSU scholarship recipients would receive research grants that ranged from Rp50 to 60 million per year and guidance for writing overseas publications.

“Registration of those three scholarships for domestic universities will be open from 5 to 30 June 2017,” Ali Ghufron said.

On that occasion, the Director General also said that there are also scholarships for abroad study, namely Dikti Funded Fulbright scheme that offer 50 scholarships to study in the United States, OeAD Austria Scholarship Program that offer 10 scholarships, and Newton Fund the United Kingdom Scholarship Program that offer 8 scholarships.

Ghufron added that currently there are 34,393 lecturers with a bachelor’s degree while, the number of professors is only 5,389 people. The ideal number is 22,000. In addition, in 2021, more than 6,000 lecturers will retire.

“Thus, the scholarship is a breakthrough for increasing the capacities of lecturers and creating qualified human resources in science & technology from excellent undergraduates,” Ghufron concluded. (Ditjen Sumberdaya Iptek dan Dikti Kemristekdikti/ES) (RA/EP/YM/Naster)