"This reality is a matter of pride in the midst of our pluralistic society," UMP's Deputy Rector for Academic Affairs, Indah Sulistiani, told ANTARA in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Monday.
Papua's higher education is expected to keep making a major leap forward owing to support from various societal elements at large, Sulistiani remarked.
The UMP, one of the universities owned by Indonesia's second-biggest Muslim-based organization Muhammadiyah, has made a steadfast commitment to consistently offering good-quality education in Papua.
In achieving its noble goals through education, research, and community services, the UMP continues to work with various elements in the society at large.
"We also adapt our curriculum to points in the government's vision and mission in our endeavors to improve the quality of UMP's teaching and learning activities," she remarked.
ANTARA noted that Papua and West Papua had struggled to improve the quality of their human capital, as their scores in Indonesia's 2020 Human Development Index remained under the national average recorded at 71.94.
According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Papua and West Papua, which received special autonomy funds worth Rp126.99 trillion since 2012, had recently scored 60.44 and 65.09 respectively on the 2020 Human Development Index.
Their scores remained lower than that achieved by Aceh Province that stood at 71.94.
Amid the government's endeavors to improve Papua and West Papua's human capital, armed Papuan separatist terrorist groups still pose security threats to the provinces.
Over the past few years, armed groups have often employed hit-and-run tactics against security personnel and mounted acts of terror against civilians in several districts in Papua, including Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak to instill a sense of fear among people.
The recent targets of such acts of terror have included construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and even civilian aircraft.
On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan rebels brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya engaged in the construction of the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi Sub-district, Nduga District.
Such acts of violence have continued this year. On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed separatist terrorists vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) on the Pagamba village airstrip.
On February 8, 2021, a 32-year-old man, identified by his initials as RNR, was shot at close range in Bilogai Village, Sugapa Sub-district.
In a separate incident on February 9, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver. A motorcycle taxi driver was shot dead by an unknown gunman in Papua.
On April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan rebels opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma Village, Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District.
The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, identified as Oktovianus Rayo.
After killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched three classrooms at the Beoga public senior high school. Related news: Widodo lauds Muhammadiyah for encouraging entrepreneurial spirit
Related news: Japan vows to help Papua send native students to Fukuoka
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Hendrina DK, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
