REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, LAMPUNG -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla has underscored the need to build more institutes of technology to catch up with other countries.

"I always want this country to make progress. Thus, since the 2000s I have thought of why we only have two institutes of technology in Java," Kalla said while addressing the 3rd anniversary of the Sumatra Institute of Technology (Itera) in Lampung province on Friday.

As the country only has two institutes of technology in Java, namely the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS), it needs to build more institutes of technology outside Java. he said.

"I ask regional governments to donate plots of land. I don't know whey it is difficult to get land in Sumatra in the past. In fact, it is Makassar (in Sulawesi island) which is ready (to have an institute of technology)," he said.

He said he thanked God that the Lampung provincial government has donated 200 hectares of land to set up the Sumatra Institute of Technology, with the help of Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Zulkifli Hasan, who is also native of Lampung.

Unlike universities which teach general sciences, institutes of technology should be exclusive, he said.

The vice president lauded the Itera campus buildings which adopt modern construction. The modern construction can encourage the younger generations to look at the future, he added.

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