Solo, ANTARA JATENG - Indonesia needs a lot of philologists to translate ancient local manuscripts to be understood by millennials, the head of National Library of Indonesia, Muhammad Syarif Bando, said at the opening of the Third Nusantara Script Festival here on Monday.

"The translation of the manuscripts is also aimed at promoting the ancient documents to the international community," he noted.

He added that Indonesia needs at least thousands of philologists.

Meanwhile, the Rector of Sebelas Maret University, Ravik Karsidi, remarked that the festival is expected to provide understandings on ancient manuscript to the people of the present.

"Certain things in the past can be used for the present and the future," he revealed, hoping that the university will open a philology course to produce graduate philologists for the country.