JakartaPost-Nov 8
Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto welcomed 22 Palestinian undergraduate students on Wednesday to study at the Indonesia Defense University (Unhan) after they received five-year government scholarships. The students, called “cadets” by Unhan, took part in a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Jakarta. In his speech, Prabowo said the scholarships represented the government’s commitment to the Palestinian struggle to achieve independence. “In developing a new nation, human resources are necessary. [The nation] needs experts, doctors, engineers and others. This is where Indonesia comes in. We open the doors of our educational facilities to teach them,” Prabowo said. Prabowo then presented the cadets to Unhan rector Lt. Gen. Jonni Mahroza and his academic staff. “To the rector of Unhan, all deans and lecturers, please take good care of the students,” he said. “Be their parents, because they are away from their families and their families are enduring such hardship.” The cadets will undergo a five-year program, including one year of Indonesian language instruction and four years of specialized studies in various fields in Unhan. The fields of study include medicine, pharmacy, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and information engineering. Upon completing their studies, the graduates are expected to return to Palestine and contribute to their nation’s development. The scholarship provision was Prabowo’s initiative. He said the scholarships were only the first stage and that the government could add more programs in the upcoming years should Palestine request them. Read more at:
