TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Members of the Board of Trustees of the University of Indonesia (MWA UI), Bagir Manan, says Director General of Higher Education Djoko Santoso has been appointed Acting Rector of UI from August 14, 2012. "The Education Minister has appointed Pak Djoko Santoso as temporary rector," said Bagir after a meeting of the MWA at UI Central Library, Thursday, August 9, 2012. According to Bagir, a letter from the Education Minister about Djoko's appointment was in line with the letter he wrote on July 27, 2012, in which MWA asked Minister M. Nuh to appoint someone from the ranks of echelon I to assume office as Rector of UI. "It’s exactly what we hoped for in the letter we sent," he said. Djoko will start work on August 14 which coincides with the date Gumilar Rusliwa Somantri concludes his position as UI rector. "On August 14, the incumbent will no longer perform his job as rector," he said. Bagir believes the former rector of Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) will be able to perform his responsibilities for two months. That's because Djoko’s experience as Rector of ITB was very good. "Pak Djoko is wise and has an experience as rector. It’s impossible that he can’t do the job for two months," said Bagir. In the two months, Djoko will perform administrative duties that Gumilar used to do, such as, signing diplomas for graduates and monitor the changing of the deans in the schools. "It’s all right for diplomas to be signed by a temporary official," he said. His main task as acting rector is to lead the election of a permanent rector for the period 2012-2017. The selection process may be concluded in October 2012. "Hopefully, by October a new permanent rector will have been installed," he said. ILHAM TIRTA