This year, UI will once again hold the Rector Election (Pilrek) for the 2019-2024 period. A series of stages of the UI Rector election are currently underway. Based on the determination of the UI Board of Trustees (MWA) in Minutes No.BA-374/UN2.MWA.OTL.01/2019, dated September 2, 2019, the UI Rector Candidate Selection and Screening Committee (P3CR) announced the names of 20 UI Rector candidates selected for the 2019-2024 period.

Three of the 20 candidates announced by P3CR are from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MIPA) at the University of Indonesia. All three candidates hold the same academic degree at the doctoral level: Dr. rer. nat.

They are Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Abdul Haris, who currently serves as Dean of FMIPA UI, followed by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Rosari Saleh, and Dr. rer. nat. Yasman, M.Sc., So, what exactly is the title Dr. rer. nat.?

For most Indonesians, this title might still be quite unfamiliar, right? Of course, because it turns out that the academic title Dr. rer. nat. is a title awarded to those who pursue doctoral studies in Germany.

Dr. rer. nat. itself is an abbreviation of Doctor rerum naturaliumTranslated into Indonesian, it means Doctor of Science. This research-based doctoral degree originates from Germany and is awarded to someone who has successfully completed a doctoral degree (research-based) in the natural sciences.

The doctorate is almost always awarded in recognition of academic research that is of a standard and worthy of publication (although it may not actually be published) and represents at least a small contribution to human knowledge.

In addition to the Dr. rer. nat. degree, Germany also offers several other research-based doctoral degrees, distinguished by the candidate’s field of study. These include the Doctor of Agricultural Sciences (D. agricultur, Dr. agr.), Doktor ilmu-ilmu teknik (doctor ingenieur, Dr.-Ing.) Doktor ilmu ekonomi (doctor rerum oeconomicum, Dr. rer.oec.).