UNAIR NEWS – Situated on the East Java Island, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) is one of the oldest universities in Indonesia. The university, which is ranked fourth nationally, has a very long history. This university, originated from the Dutch colonial era, has developed through ages, from the Japanese occupation, to the era of independence.

From Sekolah Dokter Djawa 

In the mid-19th century, in Weltevreden, Batavia, the Dutch Colonial Government established the Sekolah Dokter Djawa or Dokter Djawa School. The background of its establishment was due to the lack of health workers in the Dutch East Indies. In fact, at that time various epidemics emerged, one of which was malaria. The graduates of the Javanese Doctor’s School then became ‘smallpox’ paramedics.

Sekolah Dokter Djawa then underwent a reorganization. In 1902, the medical school changed its name to School tot Opleiding van inlandsche Artsen (STOVIA). Those who successfully graduated from the school would be given the title of Inlandsche Arts.

Then, in 1913, School tot Opleiding van lnlanchche Artsen changed its name to School Tot Opleiding van ‘Indische’ Artsen. The word inlandsche (native) was changed to indische (Indies). This change occurred due to improvements in education so that it no longer produced Javanese Doctors but Indisch Arts because this school was then opened to anyone, no longer just to native Javanese.

Toward NIAS

In the same year as the name change of STOVIA, NIAS (Nederlands Indische Artsen School) was established in Surabaya, located at Jalan Kedungdoro No. 38. NIAS was inaugurated on July 1, 1913, while education began on July 15, 1913.

The opening of this medical school in Surabaya was motivated by the limited number of health workers, even though STOVIA had received more student applicants. Not only STOVIA, in 1928, at the suggestion of Dr Lonkhuizen, head of the public health department in Surabaya, the School Tot Opleiding van Indische Tandartsen (STOVIT) was established for dental education.

When Japan occupied Indonesia, both STOVIA in Jakarta and NIAS in Surabaya were closed. So was STOVIT. Both were reopened in 1943, merged and transformed into Ika Daigaku. Meanwhile, STOVIT changed its name to Ika Daigaku Shika. However, not long after that, Indonesia succeeded in gaining its independence. At that time, the Indonesian government nationalized education and transformed Ika Daigaku into Perguruan Tinggi Kedokteran RI.

Reopening

In October 1945, the allied forces came to Indonesia and entered the big cities. The arrival of the allies was followed by the Dutch who then carried out military aggression. The return of the Dutch and the resulting turmoil had an impact on the education sector. In 1946, the capital of the Republic of Indonesia moved from Jakarta to Yogyakarta. As a result, the educational process of the Perguruan Tinggi Kedokteran RI also had to move. This college eventually spread to three cities:Solo, Klaten, and Malang.

In the midst of the ongoing turmoil and aggression, the Dutch actually revived the education sector. Precisely in January 1946, the Dutch established De Nood Universiteit or emergency university which was later changed to Universiteit van Indonesia in 1947. Meanwhile, the Indonesian government in Yogyakarta established a rival, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in 1946.

On the other hand, the Dutch Colonial Government expanded Universiteit van Indonesia to their occupied territories, Surabaya and Makassar. In Surabaya in 1948, the Faculteit der Geneeskunde (Faculty of Medicine) was opened by reusing the previously existing NIAS building and at the same time opening the Tandheelkundig Instituut (Institute of Dentistry).

Thus, after Indonesia’s independence, there were two universities: UGM owned by the Indonesian Government, and Universiteit van Indonesia owned by the Netherlands. Both were on the van Mook line, a line that politically divided Indonesia, especially Java, into two regions: the rule of the Republic of Indonesia and the rule of the Netherlands. This line was the result of the Renville agreement negotiated in January 1948.

Author: Yulia Rohmawati