President Jokowi: Infrastructure Development is Important Part of Cultural Development

President Jokowi before giving public lecture at Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI), Denpasar, Saturday (23/6). (Photo: PR/Anggun).

Physical infrastructure development is an important part of cultural infrastructure development, according to  President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

The President made the statement in his public lecture before students of the Indonesian Art Institute in  Denpasar, Saturday (23/6).

“Do not interpret this as a mere physical infrastructure development, or only for economic development,” the President said.

According to the President, infrastructure development such as road, airport and sea toll road construction that has been continuously implemented by the Government for the past 3 years will build and shape Indonesian civilization in the future.

“Infrastructure is something that will unite 714 ethnicities in this country and  it will further promote culture and art in the community, as well as improve equality for all people,” the President added.

On the occasion, President Jokowi also said that infrastructure development is the first major stage in national development that will soon be followed with the improvement of human resources.

“The second major stage is to build competitive human resources in order to master, control, and utilize science and technology that develops rapidly,” said the President.

Therefore, President Jokowi reminded all participants to always be prepared to face global rapid changes, so that Indonesia can compete with other countries. “Once again let me stress that that infrastructure development is one of our strategic steps to face a rapidly changing world, a world filled with fierce competition,” the President said.

The ongoing Industrial Revolution 4.0, President Jokowi added, should also be anticipated seriously, while digitalization, computational, and data analytics have produced surprising breakthroughs in various fields and this is what need to be understood and realized.

“There is only one choice: to be a winner or to be a loser left behind by other countries,” the President concluded.

For the record, the theme of the President Jokowi’s general lecture is “Advancement of Nusantara Arts in Maintaining Diversity and Unity of Indonesia”. It was attended by rectors and leaders of art colleges throughout Indonesia, rectors of universities in Bali, arts vocational high school students, lecturers and students of ISI Denpasar, students of Ganesha Singaraja University, students of IKIP PGRI Bali, students of Hindu University, students of Faculty of Science and Culture Udayana University, as well as lecturers and students of Papua Institute of Art and Culture.

Accompanying the President in the event were Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, and Rector of ISI Denpasar I Gede Arya Sugiharta. (DNA / GUN / EN) (STU/EP/Naster)