Indonesia to train next ruling class at elite new university

Jakarta has a shortage of future leaders. It also lacks technical talent. President Prabowo’s solution? Build another university

“We have such abundant natural resources, but to this day we are technologically behind,” Aris Marsudiyanto, head of the cabinet-level Agency for Development Control and Special Investigation, said on July 23.

Whether a single state-backed institution can train all the scientists, engineers, doctors, civil servants and future presidents required is unclear, however.

Questions have also been raised about how many resources will be diverted from existing campuses to support the URI’s development.