The chair of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR),\nHetifah Sjaifudian, has cautioned that a task force proposed by\nPresident Prabowo Subianto, comprising lecturers and researchers, could\npotentially overlap with the National Research and Innovation Agency\n(BRIN) and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.\nThe Golkar Party politician stressed that the task force should be\ncomplementary and not replace the functions of existing institutions.\nAccording to her, the problem facing the national research ecosystem has\nnever been a shortage of institutions. \u201cOur problem is often not a lack\nof institutions, but rather coordination and implementation,\u201d Hetifah\ntold Tempo on Wednesday, 1 July 2026.<\/p>\n
Hetifah stated that, in principle, Commission X supports the\ngovernment\u2019s efforts to strengthen science-based policymaking. The\ninvolvement of academics is considered important because national\ndevelopment requires a strong scientific foundation. However, she\nemphasised that the formation of a task force must not merely add a new\nbureaucratic structure. Experience to date, she noted, shows that not\nall task forces succeed in achieving their goals.<\/p>\n
Hetifah further explained that the effectiveness of a task force is\nhighly dependent on its institutional design. The task force must have\nclear objectives, a limited working period, measurable success\nindicators, and a mechanism for following up on its recommendations. \u201cIt\nmust not become just a discussion forum or add to the bureaucratic\nstructure without producing a real impact,\u201d she said. Furthermore, the\ncomposition of the task force to be formed by President Prabowo Subianto\nis requested to reflect a diversity of disciplines, universities, and\nregions, as well as involve young researchers to produce a more\ncomprehensive perspective.<\/p>\n
Hetifah said that, to date, Commission X has not received an official\nexplanation from the government regarding the purpose, design, or\nmechanism for forming the task force. \u201cIf the task force later has\nimplications for policies, budgets, or institutions within the scope of\nCommission X, we hope the government can provide an open explanation to\nthe DPR so that the oversight function can run properly,\u201d she said.\nPreviously, President Prabowo Subianto had asked the Minister of Higher\nEducation, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, to form a working\ngroup or task force consisting of professors, lecturers, and\nresearchers. The request was made following a closed-door meeting with\nrectors and lecturers from various universities in Indonesia. \u201cThe\nPresident asked us to form a group, a kind of task force that will later\nconsist of professors, lecturers, and researchers from universities and\nBRIN,\u201d Brian said after the closing of the Science, Technology, and\nIndustry Convention in Jakarta on Sunday, 28 June 2026. Brian stated\nthat the task force would help accelerate the achievement of the\ngovernment\u2019s strategic policy targets across various ministries.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/potential-overlap-between-lecturer-researcher-task-force-and-brin-1782964415", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }