Cenderawasih University


Cenderawasih University (Indonesian: Universitas Cenderawasih, UNCEN) is a university in Jayapura, in the province Papua, Indonesia. The university is the leading educational institution in the province.

The university has faculties in economics, law, teacher training and education, and social and political science. Until 2002 the university had a faculty of agricultural sciences at Manokwari, which was then separated to form the State University of Papua (Universitas Negeri Papua, UNIPA). The University area is divided on 2 different areas, mainly the "Kampus lamah" (old kampus) which is in the Jayapura suburb of Abepura, and the "Kampus baru" (new campus) which is in the hillside of Waena walley.

Some students of the university have participated in organising and supporting the Free Papua Movement and other nationalist campaigns, including demonstrations against Freeport Indonesia's Grasberg mine, which have ended in violent clashes with the police and the Indonesian military. The mining company gives scholarships to students of the university.

The Indonesian Police and Army often send personnel to the University to observe different activities, also often choosing to patrol in anonymous vehicles. There is also cases when they have formal connections with students and lecturers, or even applying their own staff as students, to being able to gain information about potential activities which are connected to the Free Papua Movement.

Among the well-known alumni of the university is John Rumbiak, who founded the human rights organisation the Institute of Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (ELS-HAM) in Jayapura. The Governor of Papua Province, Barnabas Suebu, also started his higher education on the University.

0 comments