It is good news but it is also sad news (“Papuans to benefit from US$1 million scholarship fund”, March 19, p. 5)
The sad news is that this amount is only enough for 10 people within five years. My calculation is that a master’s program usually runs for two years whereby each year a student usually pays $25,000 for tuition fees for two semesters and spends $25,000 as a living allowance (for accommodation, meals and transportation).
This number is too small to help Cenderawasih University, Papua University and other colleges,. The question that West Papuans are asking is why now? If a program such as this had been started 30 years ago, I believe universities and colleges in West Papua would be up to the standard mandated for teachers and lecturers, unlike the current situation.
West Papua’s universities and colleges have been left behind in all aspects of education (qualified lecturers, good facilities and many others). West Papuans see this program as a politically based program because US President Barack Obama will visit Indonesia soon.
The US ambassador, national education minister and Freeport authorities will convince Obama that Freeport is looking after West Papuans. Hopefully, this program is not politically motivated so other funding will flow to help universities and colleges in West Papua.
These higher institutions need financial assistance from the private sector to improve their infrastructure too. Small things like a website for the universities; Cenderawasih University does not have a website that can be used to introduce itself to the world up to now because of financial constraints to support the system.
Hopefully, this will be a good example to other private companies such as the BP LNG gas company project in Bintuni; Pertamina oil company in Sorong; Sinar Mas palm oil plantation in Jayapura; Korindo Plywood in Boven Digul and other domestic and foreign investors in West Papua.
Izak Morin
Jayapura
Comments
Addy Wils (not verified), The Netherlands — Sat, 03/27/2010 - 1:23am
An example of a small private initiative== Dear Izak Morin, We agree with your opinion that universities, colleges and (senior) high schools need financial assistance also from the private sector to improve the infrastructure. We can tell you we are one of the small private initiatives as Dutch alumni of the SMA Gabungan in Jayapura, now living in Holland since 1962. The goal of our small team is to raise money for the renovation of the SMA Gabungan in Jayapura. This was not our initiative but we were requested in August 2001 by the school board to look for fund raising in Holland. According to your idea for example to make it possible for the Cenderawashi University to have its own web site, we like to inform you that in 2007 we made a web site for the SMA Gabungan school in Jayapura, which is maintained and financed since then by us, a very small group of Dutch alumni. We must tell you, however, that we have difficulties to get information for this web site from the SMA Gabungan school - we think this is a pity, a missed chance to be able to introduce themselves to the people of the province of Papua. If you are interested, this is the web site: [www.sma-gabungan.org] Kind regards, Addy Wils, member of the working group "SMA Gabungan" The NetherlandsSource: The Jakarta Post
