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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Government: Closure of Study Programs Must Be Based on University Proposals

From Tempo · (8m ago) Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Indonesia's Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology states that closing study programs must be initiated by the universities themselves.
  • The ministry can only close a program if it has received a proposal from the university or if the program commits violations.
  • This approach emphasizes a bottom-up process, with universities reviewing their programs' relevance and student interest.

The Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology has clarified its stance on the closure of academic study programs, emphasizing a decentralized, bottom-up approach. Director of Institutions Muhammad Najib stated that the ministry does not engage in top-down program closures; instead, universities themselves must initiate such proposals. This policy underscores the autonomy granted to higher education institutions while ensuring accountability.

Sifatnya itu lebih banyak bottom-up. Kecuali kalau program studi itu melakukan pelanggaran, baru kami tutup

— Muhammad NajibDirector of Institutions at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, explaining the bottom-up nature of program closure procedures.

Najib explained that the procedure for closing a study program is rigorous and involves multiple evaluation stages. The ministry's intervention is typically reserved for cases where a program is found to be in violation of regulations. Otherwise, the decision to discontinue a program rests with the university, based on its own assessments of relevance and student demand. This aligns with Ministry Regulation No. 7 of 2020, which clearly outlines the procedures for both opening and closing study programs.

While the ministry encourages universities to review their programs, particularly those with declining enrollment or those deemed irrelevant to current industry needs, it does not mandate mass closures. The priority, Najib stressed, is for universities to develop programs that support national agendas. However, this does not equate to shutting down existing programs wholesale. The focus remains on strategic development rather than arbitrary elimination.

Di situ jelas bagaimana prosedur pembukaan dan penutupan, tata cara pembukaan dan penutupan prodi

— Muhammad NajibReferring to Ministry Regulation No. 7 of 2020, which details the procedures for opening and closing study programs.

This approach empowers universities to adapt to evolving educational landscapes and labor market demands. By requiring universities to propose closures, the ministry ensures that decisions are data-driven and aligned with institutional goals, rather than being imposed externally. It fosters a more responsive and dynamic higher education sector in Indonesia, capable of meeting both national objectives and the needs of its students.

Tapi bukan berarti kita harus menutup prodi-prodi yang tidak relevan, tidak begitu

— Muhammad NajibClarifying that the ministry's focus on developing relevant programs does not imply a mandate for mass closures of existing ones.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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