Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Only one percent of Indonesia's population, or approximately 77,753 individuals, hold doctoral degrees, revealed the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. Director of Resources at the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, Lukman, emphasized the need to increase the number of doctoral graduates, particularly among lecturers.
"We must intensify efforts to increase [the number of] lecturers to get a doctoral degree," Lukman said during the "Socialization of the Garuda ACE Program" aired on YouTube on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.
To address this issue, the government has implemented various scholarship programs, including the Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP) scholarship and the Garuda ACE Program. The latter is an international research training program focusing on fields like computer engineering, information technology, data science, electrical engineering, and telecommunications. It is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
On the same occasion, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Stella Christie highlighted the importance of human capital in driving economic development. She noted that the government's downstreaming initiative, which aims to add value to natural resources, relies heavily on scientific and technological advancements.
"To achieve this, we need not only tools and machines but also superior human capital," Christie underlined.
Therefore, Stella hopes that scholarship programs such as Garuda ACE will contribute to the development of a highly skilled workforce.