TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Domestic cement company, Semen Indonesia, has started the development of the International Semen Indonesia University (UISI) located in Gresik, East Java. The principle permit for the development of UISI has been handed over by the Director General of Higher Education Djoko Santoso, to the CEO of Semen Indonesia Dwi Soetjipto on Sunday, October 19, 2014, in Jakarta.

Through a written statement, Dwi said that UISI is an expansion of Semen Indonesia School of Management Studies (STIMSI). The development of the new campus is being funded by the Semen Gresik Foundation (SGF), a non-profit organization formed by the company to manage activities in the education, environment, social events and health care sectors. SGF has previously managed various education institutions starting from elementary school all the way to high school.

Dwi said that UISI will start the first admission process in 2015. The university will have three faculties and 10 study programs such as, Economic and Business Faculty with programs consisting of Management, Accounting and Islamic Economics; Industrial Technology and Agro Business Faculty with programs consisting of Chemistry, Logistics, Engineering Management, and Industrial Agriculture Technologies; Information Technology and Creative Design Faculty with programs consisting of Information Technics, Information Systems, and Visual Communication Design.

The presence of UISI, said Dwi, is hoped to produce large numbers of skilled workers in the field of management. By gathering and utilizing them, Semen Indonesia can contribute largely to the country's education system. "We designed UISI to be the center for business development, starting from the concept, theories and business practices," he said.

ARTIKA RAHMI