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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Indonesian Universities Weigh In on Government's Plan to Close Study Programs

From Tempo · (10m ago) Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Indonesia's Ministry of Higher Education plans to close study programs deemed irrelevant to the job market to reduce graduate unemployment.
  • Universities like UMY and UGM are responding by adjusting curricula and regularly evaluating programs rather than outright closure.
  • The ministry aims to better align academic output with industry needs, acknowledging the challenge of 1.9 million graduates annually.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdikti) has ignited a discussion across Indonesian universities with its proposal to close study programs that are no longer relevant to the demands of the industry. This initiative, according to Secretary General Badru Munir Sukoco, is a strategic move to bridge the persistent gap between the skills possessed by graduates and the competencies required by the contemporary job market. With approximately 1.9 million graduates entering the workforce each year, the ministry believes that streamlining academic offerings is crucial to improving employability.

There might be some actions that need to be executed in a relatively short time regarding the study programs that need to be selected. If necessary, they need to be closed to enhance relevance.

— Badru Munir SukocoSecretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, explaining the rationale behind the proposed closure of study programs.

Universities, however, are approaching this proposal with a degree of caution and a preference for adaptive strategies. Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), for instance, has stated its commitment to curriculum reform rather than outright program closure. Vice Rector Zuly Qodir emphasizes that adjusting the curriculum, involving industry practitioners, and enhancing students' non-academic skills offers a more flexible and responsive approach to evolving market needs. UMY finds the idea of closing programs premature without clearer criteria on which fields are deemed irrelevant.

At the moment, we choose to adjust the curriculum instead of directly closing study programs.

— Zuly QodirVice Rector for Education and Student Affairs of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, outlining their university's approach to curriculum adjustment.

Similarly, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) maintains a proactive stance on program evaluation. Rector Ova Emilia confirmed that UGM regularly reviews its study programs, making it open to closing, opening, merging, or transforming them as needed. This reflects an understanding that educational institutions must remain agile in a dynamic global landscape, constantly analyzing market demands, curriculum requirements, and essential competencies. The differing approaches highlight a national conversation about how best to equip Indonesia's youth for the future workforce, balancing academic tradition with the practicalities of a rapidly changing economy.

The discussion of closing study programs needs more detailed clarification, especially regarding which fields are considered irrelevant.

— Zuly QodirVice Rector for Education and Student Affairs of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, expressing the need for clearer criteria regarding program closures.
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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