HIGHER EDUCATION REFORM IN INDONESIA AT CROSSROAD

Lack of Human Resources

The declaration of Indonesian independence on 17 August 1945 meant that big and serious problems had to be solved by Indonesian people itself. Besides fighting against the Dutch who wanted to re-colonize, Indonesian people had to solve socio-cultural problems stemming from colonialisms and wars including those in higher education. Most part of the independence war period (1945-49) witnessed almost all big cities such as Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor and Surabaya (where higher education institutions formerly existed) were seized by the Dutch. For this reason, Yogyakarta became important city for the Republic of Indonesia to develop higher education in republic territory.

Some problems that were faced by Indonesian government to develop higher education in Yogyakarta: lack of lecturer, poor infrastructure and facility, incomplete curriculum, etc. The problem of poor infrastructures and facilities could be overcome by benefiting pre-war building and facilities and/ or hired proper buildings. During the time, the most serious problem faced by Indonesian universities was lack of faculty members. This connected with the fact that there were only limited numbers of Indonesian graduates during the Dutch colonial period. After independence war, such kind of problem was solved by appointing university’s own most promising graduates to be the staff or by sending them abroad for continuing their advanced study. In the early 1950s some of these staff members were financed by Indonesian government, whereas others were supported by foreign governments and foundations. In line with the deteriorating process of Indonesian economy since the end of the 1950s, Indonesian staffs who wanted to continue their study abroad had to apply scholarship from foreign countries and funding agencies.
Lack of faculty members during the early 1950s was also solved by appointing foreign lecturers. But the anti-Dutch spirit among Indonesian people also influenced the appointing foreign lecturer especially at UGM (Universitas Gadjah Mada/ Gadjah Mada University) Yogyakarta which was originally established by Indonesian people during the independence war. During the 1950s UGM did not have large number of Dutch nationals professors compared to those with Universitas Indonesia (University of Indonesia Jakarta) in which its faculty members were dominated by Dutch lecturers. In 1957-58 for example, of 16 of the university’s 31 professors were US Americans, eight British, three Dutch, one Canadians, one German, one Italian, and one Yugoslavian. Of the 31, nine were hired individually by the government and the rests were financed by foreign agencies such as those of US State Department’s International Cooperation Administration, Ford Foundation, John Hopkins University, US State Department’s ICA, UNESCO, WHO, FAO, and British Council. The role of America and other western countries (except Dutch) increased significantly. During the end of the 1950s, most of lecturers who studied abroad taking American universities. From 1950s to 1988 the USAID itself had financed about 10,000 Indonesian students to continue their study in the United States.
On the contrary, the majority of faculty members of University of Indonesia (Jakarta) which was founded and developed by the Dutch East Indies Administration during the independence war were the Dutch. But since the end of the 1950s there had been also ‘Indonesianization pocess’ of faculty member at this university. Of the 471 faculty members in 1951-52, only 190 or 40 percent were Indonesians and the rests were foreigners (mostly Dutch). But this figure changed drastically in 1962-63. Of the 1273 faculty members, 1264 or 99 percent were Indonesians and only 1 percent or 9 faculty members were foreigners. Besides, important positions at the university were also occupied by mostly Dutchmen. In 1953 for example, the dean of the colleges of agriculture, technology, and science were still in hand of the Dutchmen and only 24 percent (26 lecturers) of fulltime professorships were held by Indonesians.
Until the early 1960s, the problem of faculty member shortage at most popular universities in Indonesia (especially in Gadjah Mada University and University of Indonesia) could be minimally overcome. This period also witnessed increasing influence of American system in Indonesian higher education in line with the increasing number of Indonesian lecturers who continued their advanced study to this country.