KPPU Chairman awarded honorary professorship by Unissula

The Chairman of the Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU), Dr. Ir. M. Fanshurullah Asa, has been awarded an honorary professorship by the Faculty of Engineering at Sultan Agung Islamic University (Unissula) in Semarang, Central Java. The inauguration was conducted by Unissula Rector Prof Gunarto at the Unissula Auditorium on Monday, attended by several officials including Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto. Fanshurullah delivered a scientific oration titled ‘The Contribution of the Business Competition Ecosystem in the Construction and Energy Infrastructure Sector from the Perspective of Construction Management Science to Realise Quality National Economic Growth’. He asserted that the future of Indonesia’s economic development can no longer rely on conventional approaches that depend solely on capital accumulation. ‘Modern economic growth is no longer determined only by capital and labour, but is also heavily influenced by the quality of management systems, technological mastery, and good institutional governance,’ he said. According to him, macroeconomic efficiency can be achieved through the integration of engineering management that runs in tandem with the creation of a healthy and competitive market. Fanshurullah is known as an academic and a bureaucrat with a long track record in energy, oil and gas, economics, construction, and business. For more than three decades, he has been involved in various national strategic policies related to energy management and economic development. His experience and contributions across various strategic sectors, including being entrusted as KPPU Chairman, were among the considerations for the Unissula Faculty of Engineering in bestowing the honorary professorship. Based on theoretical studies, econometric analysis, and empirical experience he presented, a concept called the ‘Asa Constant’ was born. The concept is claimed to mathematically prove that the implementation of an Integrated Management System can provide a multiplier effect on increasing productivity and national economic growth. In his oration, he also emphasised the importance of implementing PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) and ISO 21500 as the foundation of a project management system capable of improving efficiency, transparency, and accountability in development. However, he noted that the success of such a system must be supported by a healthy and competitive market structure. Therefore, the role of KPPU is considered highly strategic in maintaining fair business competition and preventing tender conspiracy practices, cartels, and abuse of dominant positions that can hinder economic growth. Meanwhile, Unissula Rector Prof Gunarto stated that the honorary professorship inauguration is expected to further strengthen collaboration between the academic world, government, and industry, primarily in advancing scientific knowledge and sustainable national development.