Accelerating Professorships: Solution or New Risk?

Indonesia’s academic institutions have witnessed a striking phenomenon in recent months. Professorial appointments, traditionally conducted one at a time, are now frequently held simultaneously in considerable numbers. It is not uncommon for a single university to appoint three, five, or even seven professors at once.

On one hand, this trend should be welcomed with optimism. Indonesia undoubtedly requires more professors to strengthen research, doctoral education, and scientific leadership in higher education. However, on the other hand, this acceleration raises legitimate questions: does the increase in numbers proceed in tandem with strengthened academic quality? This question becomes increasingly relevant following changes to professorial requirements.

WHEN PROFESSOR STANDARDS WERE SIMPLIFIED

The Government, through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, and subsequently the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, simplified requirements for reaching this highest academic rank.

Through substantive evaluation focusing primarily on special requirements, a lecturer can qualify as a professor with two internationally reputable publications indexed in Scopus as both first author and corresponding author, plus one research article published in a Scopus-indexed international journal of Q3 standard or a nationally accredited SINTA 1 journal as first or corresponding author.

Additionally, there are supplementary requirements for academic track record, with candidates needing only one of the following: having led external research grants, having supervised doctoral students, having examined doctoral candidates, having served as an international journal reviewer, or having led international research collaboration. Of course, there are also other administrative requirements of a normative nature. In principle, this scheme is not problematic. The activities specified as requirements are indeed important aspects of an academic lecturer’s professional life.

PUBLICATION TRACK RECORD THAT IS TOO MINIMAL

The problem does not lie with the existence of special or supplementary requirements. The issue emerges when the two international publications required as special criteria represent the only internationally reputable publications an academic possesses. Should this occur, a person can become a professor with an extremely limited international publication track record.

Over the long term, this can create an unhealthy phenomenon in the academic system: professors with minimal international research experience. Professors should not merely meet administrative thresholds but should also demonstrate consistency in producing internationally recognised scholarly work.

Therefore, beyond meeting special requirements, a more comprehensive publication profile should be examined. For example, a prospective professor ideally should have at least approximately 10 Scopus-indexed articles as part of their scholarly track record.

Additionally, scientific impact indicators such as Scopus h-index—for instance, a minimum h-index of 5—could serve as a supplementary measure to ensure that scholarly work has influence within the academic community. With such an approach, professorial acceleration can proceed whilst maintaining academic quality. The phenomenon of professors with extremely minimal international publication track records—such as only two Scopus documents—would no longer emerge.

PROFESSOR SHORTAGE THAT IS INDEED REAL

On the other hand, we cannot ignore the reality that Indonesia still faces a professor shortage. Out of hundreds of thousands of lecturers nationwide, Indonesia’s professor population is estimated at only around 8,000 individuals, or merely 2 to 3 per cent of the total lecturer workforce. This figure remains relatively small compared to many other countries with more mature higher education systems. In such countries, the proportion of professors can reach between ten and tens of per cent of total academic staff. This means that accelerating the increase in professor numbers is indeed a strategic necessity for Indonesia. However, this necessity must not allow academic standards to become excessively relaxed.

THREAT OF ACADEMIC RANK INFLATION

If acceleration is not accompanied by strengthened quality indicators, higher education systems risk experiencing academic rank inflation. The number of professors increases rapidly, but the scholarly output produced does not increase proportionally. Over the long term, the professorial rank could lose its strategic meaning as a symbol of scientific leadership. Yet in global academic practice, a professor is a figure with influence in knowledge development, building research groups, and serving as a scholarly reference within their field.

Acceleration policy is often described as a transitional phase. However, transition only becomes meaningful if accompanied by clear and measurable evaluation. Without this, minimum standards can become permanent standards. In such circumstances, the academic system would actually lose momentum to strengthen the quality of national research. Therefore, it is important for the government and academic community to make this policy part of a dynamic process—one that is continuously evaluated, refined, and improved.

PRESERVING THE DIGNITY OF THE PROFESSORSHIP

Ultimately, a professor is not merely an academic title or administrative achievement. It is a symbol of intellectual leadership and significant scholarly responsibility. Indonesia indeed requires more professors. However, Indonesia also requires professors with strong, consistent research track records that are internationally recognised. Accelerating the number of professors is an important step. Yet this must be accompanied by strengthened quality standards to ensure that the professorial rank retains its true meaning and influence in advancing Indonesian scholarship and research.