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

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology states that the closure of study programmes (prodi) cannot be carried out through a top-down system, or from the centre to individual campuses. Director of Institutions at the Ministry, Muhammad Najib, said the ministry can close prodi only if there is a proposal from the campus.

He explained that the procedure for closing prodi is not straightforward and must go through a series of evaluation processes. “It is more of a bottom-up nature. Unless the study programme commits a violation, then we close it,” he said when contacted on Tuesday, 28 April 2026. As long as there is no violation, the closure of prodi cannot be done unilaterally by the ministry.

Najib stated that the rules for closing prodi are already enshrined in Ministerial Regulation No. 7 of 2020. “It clearly outlines the procedures for opening and closing, as well as the methods for opening and closing prodi,” he said.

He emphasised that the ministry has no plans to push for mass closures of prodi. Each higher education institution, Najib said, is currently being asked to review the absorption of students in each prodi.

For prodi that are deemed to have low interest and are not relevant to industry needs, campuses are requested to submit proposals for closure.

Najib explained that the ministry’s priority is to encourage higher education institutions to open prodi that can support national agendas. “But that does not mean we have to close prodi that are not relevant; it’s not like that,” he said.