Indonesian Universities: Change Agents in ASEAN ?

Benyamin Lakitan

25 Years DAAD in Jakarta

DAAD-Alumni Meeting

Jakarta 27-29 March 2015

The 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia

“The government shall advance science and technology with the highest respect for religious values and

national unity for the advancement of civilization and prosperity of humankind.”

Article 31(5)

http://www.worldfolio.co.uk/reports/indonesia/irene-jansen-director-of-the-german-academic-exchange-service-daad-in-jakarta-indonesia-n1562#sthash.DDL8jDp0.dpuf

“If we talk about innovation and the future,

we will have to talk about universities and research.

Unless Indonesia leap-frogs into research output and innovation,

it will be very difficult to sustain wealth.”

(Jansen, 2012)

Peer, V. Stoeglehner, G. 2013. Universities as change agents for sustainability e framing the role of knowledge transfer and generation in regional development processes. Journal of Cleaner Production 44:85-95

“Knowledge provision is not enough to establish the university as a change agent. Ownership of knowledge within local and

regional communities has to be achieved. This ownership can best be attained through joint knowledge generation.”

(Peer and Stoeglehner, 2013)

Peer, V. Stoeglehner, G. 2013. Universities as change agents for sustainability e framing the role of knowledge transfer and generation in regional development processes. Journal of Cleaner Production 44:85-95

“Universities that want to act as change agents have to thoroughly consider collaborative ways of research and

education in informal learning environments so that knowledge demand, knowledge transfer, and knowledge generation can be negotiated and jointly determined between local and regional

societies and universities.”

(Peer and Stoeglehner, 2013)

Teichler, U. 2013. Universities - Between the Expectations to Generate Professionally Competences and Academic Freedom: Experiences from Europe. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 77:421 – 428

“As universities do not have only the function to create experts for the current world of work, but (also) to educate students to

challenge the conventional wisdom; university could chose a proactive role and could educate students to become change

agents in economy and society.”

(Teichler, 2013)

History is changed when we put into it the technology that counts: not only the famous spectacular technologies but

also the low and ubiquitous ones ...

(Edgerton, 2006)

• Edgerton, David. 2006. The Shock of the Old. Profile Books Ltd., London

Existing Landscape

• Low academic productivity (alumni, publication, patent, royalty)

• Mismatch to real needs and problems

• Weak networks (among universities; and between university and business, society, government)

Yearly articles published by selected ASEAN countries, 2002-2011 (Lakitan et al, 2012)

Current path of Indonesian Universities contribution to economic development (Lakitan, 2013)

Lakitan et al., 2012

Pre-requisites for Becoming Change Agent

• Being sensitive and readiness to response to people, business community, and government needs (Ivory tower era should be terminated!)

• Being proud as part of mission-oriented networks, do not necessarily to lead them. Networks should be measured by their results, not their size.

• Being proud to be Indonesian

Core of Innovation System (Lakitan, 2013)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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GRASSROOTS INNOVATION

ECONOMIC DIMENSION

SOC

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http://benyaminlakitan.com

Responding to ASEAN Community Challenges

Indonesian Universities should play significant roles in:

• Improving competitiveness of human resources (professionals and skilled workers).

• Creating relevant, affordable, and competitive technologies.

• Improving national capacity in managing natural resources.

• Encouraging and supporting investment on processing and manufacturing industries.

http://benyaminlakitan.com blakitan@ristek.go.id