Pak Budi Rahardjo asks the all important question about universities in Indonesia: should a university such as ITB be a “teaching university” or a “research university”. Like other things in life, the answer is not necessarily straightforward. However, one thing is clearly needed to become a research university: research funding.

So the first question should be: where can Indonesian universities and academics obtain research funding? Some options: Indonesian government, private corporations, NGOs, etc. etc. What is the history with regards to the performance of Indonesian institutions when it comes to delivering.

The second question: how can we break the apparent chicken-and-egg problem (i.e. boot-strap problem). In order to apply for research grants, an academic or researcher needs to show a good research/publication record. But in order to even begin doing research, he or she needs research money. There are simple solutions to this bootstrap problem, such as a university freeing a dosen/academic from teaching obligations for a probationary period (e.g. 1 or 2 years) in order for that dosen to prove their research work.

A third question: what is an objective measurement for research output by Indonesian academics? Is it papers in local conferences and so-called “seminars”? Or is it the usual number of papers in international conferences and journals (e.g. IEEE sponsored).

Finally, what is an objective way to dish out research grants/monies, one that is relatively free from cronyism, favoritism and “soft” corruption?