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UEU.
Bakrie University (UB) in South Jakarta has introduced a points system as a prerequisite for graduation.
“I must have 40 points to be able to submit my internship report. These points could be collected from joining campus organizations or clubs,” said 23-year-old UB student Gita Putri, adding that students could also earn extra points if they assisted lecturers in research.
Answering the needs of the industry, some private universities also offer cutting-edge study programs, such as gaming.
Binus University in Jakarta and Bandung offers a study program that focuses on game design, ranging from design and art to programming, while Multimedia Nusantara University in Tangerang, Banten, similarly offers a course for gaming production. In Surabaya, Ciputra University’s Informatics Engineering study program provides the opportunity for students to develop their own ideas, one of which is game development.
Association of Indonesian Private Universities (Aptisi) chairman Budi Djatmiko said more private universities were encouraged to be more flexible in their curriculum development.
“Innovations in the curriculum are needed to meet the needs of the industry,” he said. He acknowledged that many universities were on the right path by offering fresh programs that were not offered at state universities. Sadly, he said, such creativity and innovation was sometimes hindered by government regulations.
“Every time a university plans to open a new program, the government will perform an assessment. However, the long-awaited feedback from [the government] and all the administrative processes sometimes become hurdles, and [the university] becomes discouraged,” he said.
Budi called on the government to loosen the regulations for universities to develop a curriculum to boost their innovation and creativity.
“It’s like a market. Let the public decide [whether a program is good or bad]. The more [the government] comes up with regulations, the more difficult it is for universities to be creative,” he said. (asp)