MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA – Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Technology Prof. Brian Yuliarto encouraged Muhammadiyah to establish a Muhammadiyah Scientific Empire to strengthen research and innovation across its universities.
The idea of a scientific empire was introduced by Omar Yaghi, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Brian believed that Muhammadiyah has the potential to adopt this concept and build a strong research network across its institutions.
Brian highlighted the need to enhance research quality within Muhammadiyah-‘Aisyiyah higher education institutions. While acknowledging the strong research capabilities of Muhammadiyah university teaching staff, he pointed out that many face limitations due to a lack of facilities.
“I have met many teaching staff of Muhammadiyah universities who have excellent research skills, but they often struggle with limited resources. By creating a strong research network, we can help them overcome these challenges,” said Brian on Wednesday, March 19.
Brian further explained that the Muhammadiyah Scientific Empire would function as a collaborative space where researchers could share resources and conduct joint research.
“Research should be a collective effort rather than an individual pursuit,” said Brian.
With 163 Muhammadiyah universities spread across Indonesia, Brian saw great potential in building a strong research ecosystem. He pointed out that in the United States, many leading universities are privately owned, and he believed Muhammadiyah institutions could surpass state universities in Indonesia with the right approach.
Brian also emphasized the importance of research collaboration between Muhammadiyah universities and other universities to strengthen Indonesia’s position globally. He noted that to escape the middle-income trap, the country needs ambitious economic growth strategies, similar to those implemented by Japan, South Korea, and China, which have developed through technology-based industries.
Brian highlighted that building a strong industrial sector requires significant investment, economic coordination, a skilled workforce, and novel research.
“In Thailand, 20 percent of the workforce in the industrial sector are university graduates. In Indonesia, that number is only five percent,” he said Brian.
Despite these challenges, Brian remains optimistic about Indonesia’s economic potential. With a large domestic market, he believed the country could alter from a consumer-driven economy to a producer-driven one. However, he stressed that industries should rely on research and innovation to create competitive products, making research a crucial driver of economic growth and national progress.
