Higher education in Indonesia is currently at the epicentre of\nchange, compelling us to look beyond mere graduation rates. In line with\nPress Release No.\u00a0196\/Sipers\/IV\/2026 from the Ministry of Education,\nCulture, Research, and Technology, the government emphasises that the\nreorganisation of study programmes is conducted in a measured,\ncomprehensive manner based on thorough studies to enhance the\ncontribution of higher education institutions to national development.\nThis policy is not merely an administrative matter but an endeavour to\nensure that higher education remains relevant in building the foundation\nof the nation\u2019s civilisation.<\/p>\n
However, higher education policy in Indonesia is at a crucial\ncrossroads, where the tug-of-war between market efficiency demands and\nacademic integrity presents strategic challenges requiring policy\nbalance. Policies on reorganising study programmes actually have a\nstrong foundation in Law No.\u00a012 of 2012 on Higher Education. Articles 33\nand 34 of this law explicitly regulate that the establishment,\nalteration, and closure of study programmes is the government\u2019s\nauthority and must be based on national standards.<\/p>\n
The phenomenon often heralded as a crisis of relevance has surfaced\nthrough analysis of employment statistics released by the Central\nStatistics Agency in August 2025, which shows that the open unemployment\nrate for university graduates remains stuck at 5.2% to 5.9%.\nQuantitatively, this structural challenge is exacerbated by findings\nfrom various national and international studies indicating a horizontal\nmismatch or discrepancy between fields of study and employment reaching\nalarming figures of 50% to 60%.<\/p>\n
These data provide a strategic momentum for the government to\nsynchronise and reorganise study programmes, seen as suboptimal\neducational investment efficiency due to their inability to address\ntechnological disruption challenges predicted by the Future of Jobs\nReport to shift 44% of core worker skills in a short time.<\/p>\n
Yet, behind these quantitative pressures lies a far more fundamental\ncrisis of essence that risks weakening the nation\u2019s intellectual\ncapacity in the long term if study programme reorganisation is done\nwithout considering essential aspects of education. Qualitatively, there\nis a trend of commodification of knowledge where higher education\ninstitutions are increasingly viewed solely as providers of workforce\ninstruments, a phenomenon in educational sociology studies termed as the\ntendency towards educational pragmatism that needs to be rebalanced.<\/p>\n
If the success parameters of a study programme, particularly in\neducation and humanities, are measured only based on short-term economic\nparameters in the industrial sector, there is a risk of reduction in the\nessence of education as a shaper of character and critical thinking.\nNeglecting programmes that produce educators\u2014who truly possess\npedagogical competencies, cognitive psychology, and character\ndevelopment\u2014merely because of saturated formal market absorption risks\nhindering the optimisation of education\u2019s role in the holistic and\nsustainable development of human potential and as guardians of the\nquality of future generations.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the formulation of study programme management policies\nrequires a new paradigm capable of bridging pragmatic economic needs\nwith the noble existential needs of humanity. Here, the urgency of\napplying Maqashid Syariah as a policy framework becomes highly pressing\nto ensure that every decision not only focuses on preserving wealth\nthrough job market fulfilment but also consistently preserves reason and\nprogeny as the main pillars of community welfare. Study programme\nmanagement must not be trapped in a narrow dichotomy between existence\nand efficiency but directed towards adaptive curriculum transformation\nwithout sacrificing the core of knowledge that forms the soul of the\nnation\u2019s intelligence.<\/p>\n
Maqashid Syariah as a Matrix for Evaluating Study Programmes<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology\nemphasises that higher education institutions must not submit to\nindustrial interests alone; they have a great mandate in shaping\ncharacter, strengthening critical thinking, and developing knowledge.\nBasic sciences, social sciences, humanities, and education fields still\nhold important positions in the national talent architecture because the\ngovernment views higher education as a centre for developing innovation,\nculture, and leadership. To bridge this gap, we need a more\ncomprehensive policy compass, namely the Maqashid Syariah paradigm\nsynchronised with operational regulations such as Ministry of Education,\nCulture, Research, and Technology Regulation No.\u00a053 of 2023 on Higher\nEducation Quality Assurance. The application of Maqashid Syariah as a\nmatrix for evaluating study programmes in higher education is a policy\nijtihad that positions education as an instrument for protecting the\nfive basic elements of life or Al-Dharuriyyat al-Khamsah. In the\ndimension of Hifz al-Din or preserving religion, study programme\nmanagement must ensure academic freedom and diversity that allows divine\nvalues and professional ethics to flourish across all fields of\nknowledge, from sciences to humanities. Its theological foundation is\ncontained in Surah Adz-Dzariyat verse 56,<\/p>\n
\u0648\u064e\u0645\u064e\u0627 \u062e\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0642\u0652\u062a\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0652\u062c\u0650\u0646\u064e\u0651 \u0648\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0652\u0625\u0650\u0646\u0633\u064e \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u0651\u0627 \u0644\u0650\u064a\u064e\u0639\u0652\u0628\u064f\u062f\u064f\u0648\u0646\u0650<\/p>\n
which means, \u201cAnd I did not create the jinn and mankind except to\nworship Me.\u201d Quantitatively, research shows that institutions\nintegrating religious ethical values have higher academic integrity\nlevels, so study programme evaluation must ensure that their curricula\nnot only produce skilled workers but humans aware of their role in\ndevotion.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/redesigning-policies-for-managing-study-programmes-based-on-the-maqashid-syariah-paradigm-1777877577", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }