Indonesia Urges Regional Governments to Utilize University Research for Development

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Stella Christie, has called on regional governments and stakeholders to harness research conducted by universities in their respective regions. She emphasized the importance of integrating academic research into government programs and policies at both central and local levels to drive economic growth.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Christie underscored the necessity of systematically scaling up research efforts to ensure continuity and broader impact.

“Our challenge is how these research efforts can be systematically scaled up, so they need to be continuous. Overall, whatever problems exist in the region, experts are there at the universities to offer solutions,” she stated.

The ministry remains committed to expanding the implementation of university research so that its benefits are widely felt across communities. Christie highlighted that regional governments play a crucial role as adopters of university-led research, aligning it with the specific needs of their localities.

“In the meantime, the ministry will assist in this, but we hope that collaboration between local governments and the experts at the universities can happen,” she noted.

As an example of this initiative, Christie pointed out that the future development and management of the Garuda Superior High School in North Sulawesi will be based on research conducted by various universities in the province.

She further emphasized that regional stakeholders must address local needs by leveraging research in fields such as construction, building materials, and the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program implemented by the government.

“Therefore, universities must be able to collaborate with local governments to promote and utilize extraordinary innovations to address the needs of the community,” Christie concluded.