The Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry’s Directorate General of Higher Education is targeting to prepare 10 thousand university students as researchers for research centers under the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in 2022.

“We have taken several measures to enhance our scientific research by utilizing opportunities from the Free Campus program, particularly to support research targeting issues regarding village development,” acting director general Nizam, who goes by only one name, stated in Jakarta on Monday.

He said that the Free Campus program can serve as a medium to harmonize future talents and innovation, as participating students will be placed at research centers and their work will be converted into course credit.

The directorate general will also open national research facilities for universities that wish to conduct research in any field, he informed.

“Our research laboratory, equipment, and facilities at our research centers are open to universities that want to conduct any research,” Nizam said.

Besides the Free Campus program, the directorate general is also promoting an acceleration program for postgraduate students to complete their doctoral studies and encourage them to conduct doctoral research that could address national issues and benefit the people, he said.

The Education Ministry is also ready to connect industry professionals with universities for collaborations and encourage research among postgraduate students, the director general added.

“We have organized the World Class Professor program that admits around 70 until 100 professors for this year’s batch, we hope the professors would enhance our research and scientific publication quality,” Nizam said.

The director general expressed the hope that the ministry’s matching fund program — which seeks to facilitate collaboration among researchers and industries — will also benefit residents.

Source: Antara News