President Jokowi to Open Indonesian Rectors Conference

Chairman of the Indonesian Rector’s Forum, accompanied by Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education after meeting with President Jokowilast Wednesday (20/1)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo is slated to open the 2016 National Conference of the Indonesian Rector’s Forum (FRI) to be held on Friday evening (29/1) at the auditorium of Yogyakarta State University (UNY).

The annual event involves a number of rectors from both state universities and private universities from all over Indonesia.

This year’s event adopts the theme Revolusi Mental untuk Memperkokoh Karakter Bangsa (Mental Revolution to Strengthen the Nation’s Characters).

In this conference, the rectors are scheduled to discuss two main issues, namely the State Policy Guidelines (Garis-garis Besar Haluan Negara/GBHN) and efforts to make Indonesia ‘the world’s maritime fulcrum’.

As many as 1,000 participants are expected to attend the event, including representatives from universities, institutes, academies, polytechnics under the supervision of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education as well asother ministries.

Also scheduled to attend the conference are Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Mohamad Nasir and Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X.

Previously on Wednesday (20/1) last week, representatives from FRI met with President Jokowi at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta.

At the meeting, FRI Chairman Prof. Dr. RochmatWahab, M.Pd., M.A, who is also the Rector of the Yogyakarta State University (UNY), expressed the readiness of rectors from both state universities and private universities to support the Government’s programs.

“We, rectors from both state universities and private universities from all over Indonesia, hold a national conference every year and this year, we’re going to hold the conference in Yogyakarta with the theme Revolusi Mental untuk Memperkokoh Karakter Bangsa (Mental Revolution to Strengthen the Nation’sCharacters),” he told reporters at the Merdeka Palace  last Wednesday. (SLN/EN) (EP/YM/Naster)