What kind of leaders does Indonesia want?

The Indonesian government recently announced plans to establish 10 new universities to cultivate future leaders for government and state-owned enterprises. The initiative, led by President Prabowo Subianto, aims to create a parallel system of education following a model borrowed from France's Institut National du Service Public. The first campus is set to open in Bogor, West Java, on a former oil palm plantation funded by the state budget.

However, experts argue that the country already has established universities capable of producing competent leaders. The University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University, and the Bandung Institute of Technology have been doing so for decades. M. Zainuddin, a former rector of State Islamic University Malang, pointed out that Indonesia's research output is significantly lower than that of advanced economies, with only 395 researchers per million people compared to 4,000-8,000 in these countries.

Furthermore, research and development spending remains stagnant, accounting for only 0.2-0.3 percent of the GDP.

Zainuddin concluded that the government's expenditure should be directed towards improving existing universities and addressing their shortcomings, rather than adding an entirely new institution that would burden the already strained state budget. Strengthening the solid universities already in place is a more efficient route to achieving better leadership, in his opinion. The Jakarta Post invites readers to share their perspectives, suggestions, and concerns regarding this matter.