The battle against terrorism in the region will soon get a boost with the launch of Indonesia’s first university course in terrorism studies.

The master’s programme, which will begin in February at Universitas Indonesia (UI), the country’s oldest state university, aims to develop a pool of terrorism studies experts here and around the region.

Only Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) offers a similar programme in the region, said Police Inspector-General Benny Mamoto. The veteran trainer in police and security affairs and counter-terrorism will lead the course.