University of Indonesia

The University of Indonesia (UI; Indonesian: Universitas Indonesia) is a public university in Depok, West Java and Salemba, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is one of the oldest tertiary-level educational institutions in Indonesia (known as the Dutch East Indies when UI was established), and is generally considered one of the most prestigious universities in Indonesia, along with the Gadjah Mada University and Bandung Institute of Technology. In the 2024 QS World Universities Ranking, UI is ranked 1st in Indonesia, 49th in Asia and 237th in the world.

UI's origins date back to the School of Health Sciences and Vaccines (Opleiding van eleves voor de genees-en helkunde en vaccine) on 2 January 1849 based on a decree from the Governor of the Dutch East Indies. At that time, the colonial government of the Dutch East Indies established a school to train medical assistants. Training lasted for two years, and the graduates were certified to perform basic medicine. Those graduates were awarded the title Javanese Doctor (Dokter Jawa) and were authorised to practice only within the Dutch East Indies, especially Java. The program became more comprehensive; in 1864 it was expanded to three years, and by 1875 it had reached seven years and the graduates were entitled to the degree of Medical Doctor.

The next step came in 1898, when the Dutch East Indies government established a new school to train medical doctors, named STOVIA (School tot Opleiding van Inlandsche Artsen). A school building was opened in March 1902, in a building that is now the Museum of National Awakening. The prerequisite to enter STOVIA was roughly the equivalent of a junior high school diploma. The schooling took nine years, so it was a mix between high school and university education. Education at STOVIA lasted for 9 years: 3 years at junior high school level, three years at high school level, and three years at diploma level. Many STOVIA graduates later played important roles in Indonesia's national movement toward independence, as well in developing medical education in Indonesia.

In 1924, the colonial government decided to open a new tertiary-level educational facility, the RHS (Rechts Hogeschool), to train civilian officers and servants. The RHS would later evolve into the Faculty of Law. In 1927, STOVIA's status was changed to that of a full tertiary-level institution and its name was changed to GHS (Geneeskundige Hogeschool). The GHS occupied the same main building and used the same teaching hospital as the current Faculty of Medicine. Many GHS alumni would later play roles in establishing the University of Indonesia.

After Indonesia gained independence, the Indonesian Institute for Higher Education (BPTRI) was established on 19 August 1945 in Jakarta. BPTRI had two faculties (then called colleges), namely the College of Medicine and the College of Law/Letters. The chairman of BPTRI was Prof dr Sarwono Prawirohardjo. The College of Medicine was officially opened on 1 October 1945. The institute produced its first 90 graduate students as medical doctors in the same year. When the Dutch colonial army occupied Jakarta in late 1945, the BPTRI moved to Klaten, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Malang. In 21 June 1946, the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) established the Nood Universiteit or Emergency University at Jakarta. In 1947, the name was changed to Universiteit van Indonesië (UvI) or Universitas Indonesia. Following the Indonesian National Revolution, the government established a state university in Jakarta in February 1950. The name was Universiteit Indonesia, comprising the BPTRI units and the former UvI, which was later changed into Universiteit Indonesia (UI).

Universiteit Indonesia officially started its activities on 2 February 1950 with its first president (now renamed to rector) Ir. R.M. Pandji Soerachman Tjokroadisoerio. The office of the President of Universiteit Indonesia was initially based in Jakarta, precisely in the Faculty of Medicine building on Jl. Salemba Raya no. 6, then moved to one of the former madat factory buildings on Jl. Salemba Raya no. 4, Jakarta. 2 February 1950 was later made the birthday of Universitas Indonesia. Initially, UI was a multi-campus university, with faculties in Jakarta (Medicine, Law, and Letters), Bogor (Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine), Bandung (Engineering, Mathematics and Natural Sciences), Surabaya (Medicine and Dentistry), and Makassar (Economics and Law). The Surabaya campus became the University of Airlangga in 1954. In the following year, the Makassar campus became the University of Hasanuddin.

In 1955, Law No. 10 on the change of the words universiteit, universitet, and universitit was passed, so since then, Universiteit Indonesia was officially renamed Universitas Indonesia.

In 1959, the Bandung campus became the Bandung Institute of Technology. The School for Physical Education, which was also in Bandung, became part of Padjadjaran University in 1960. In 1964, the Bogor campus became the Bogor Agricultural Institute and the Faculty of Teaching and Education in Jakarta became the Institute of Teaching and Education (now the State University of Jakarta). By 1965, UI consisted of three campuses, all in Jakarta: Salemba (Medicine, Dentistry, Economics, Engineering, Science and the Graduate School), Rawamangun (Letters, Law, Social Science and Psychology) and Pegangsaan (Public Health and parts of Medicine). In 1987, several faculties from the Salemba and Rawamangun campuses moved to a newly built campus in the outskirts of Jakarta. The campus in southern Jakarta is known as the Depok campus (it is in the city of Depok).