task 3: The Government is The Key of Applied Research

Scientific research is a methodical investigation of science in order to discover some new ideas and innovations. This kind of research is done by academic researcher as well as industrial researcher. This research is aimed to develop our knowledge and technology for human mankind and for making our life easier. But in some cases, the scientific research product is not as more as just sheets of papers or journals which have been published without following up, especially in our lovely country, Indonesia. Our scientific research is just like habitual action in university or institution which doesn’t give any contributions for industry and for society. The big deal why our research is just a theoretical research despite of applied research is our government. No attention has been given, and there is a gap between academic research and industry. The government needs to construct a bridge to establish coordination between them both. Hopely, they can dance together in one stage for the same goal, to increase Indonesian’s wealthy.

Everybody knows well that our government does not pay any significant attention to our researchers, that’s why our R&D is not as good and as fast as any other countries. In Indonesia, scientific research is almost like a “garbage” which have no contribution for our nation. A researcher sounds like a volunteer who do his own research without being paid. It is not strange if our geniuses prefer to live in “richer countries” who promising them with a bunch of money.

In many countries, academician and industry have an awesome symbiosis, but in Indonesia is totally different. Both work separately in egocentric. They don’t know what they need each other. As a result, there is a wide gap between them both. Academicians have various high-technologies which brought here after studying abroad. On the contrary, the industries look like a bunch of dumbs who totally rely on outside technologies.

Based on those cases, the government should take some important steps. The government needs to establish coordination between academician and industry and to construct a strong symbiosis. Some policies should be created to support this condition. Bigger budget allocation also has to be considered. As a comparison, 45 % of national budget of Japan has been allocated to R&D sector, meanwhile in Indonesia is only 2 %.

However, the government should realize that we will always depend on foreign techno logy and be a worker nation if we do not start fixing our research mechanism. “The theoretical scientific research” should be “transformed” into applied scientific research for our better industry and society. Academician and industry have to work together to create innovative technologies which can arise our wealthy as a whole. Because in this era, technology determines our own nation’s destiny, and applied research is the key.