Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology urges universities to allow lecturers one day of WFH per week
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Mendiktisaintek) Brian Yuliarto has urged all universities in Indonesia to provide a work-from-home (WFH) allowance for lecturers and educational staff (tendik) of one day per week.
“We are encouraging universities to select and evaluate for tendik, which can be done as one day of WFH per week,” he told reporters in Jakarta on Monday.
Minister Brian outlined several ways to make work in the higher education sector more efficient, allowing lecturers and tendik to have one day of WFH.
First, he explained, by conducting lectures via distance learning (PJJ) or in a hybrid format, while considering the quality and learning outcomes understood by each study programme (prodi) at the universities.
“Because the university and prodi know which courses, for example, due to their nature of providing insights, can be done hybrid or via PJJ. Which courses require intensive interaction, such as calculations and formula derivations—if done via PJJ, the students might get sleepy—so those should be held in class,” he said.
“Why? Because if we transform our work patterns and work culture to be effective, it will ultimately benefit all parties. It will be far more efficient, with more effective spending,” he continued.
Third, Brian stated, if the entire work culture is running effectively, then the university has the right to arrange to concentrate lecturers’ schedules on certain days, leaving one day for WFH as determined by the university.
“For lecturers, we are actually asking universities to arrange so that lecturers can be concentrated on certain days, because sometimes in the past, when I was teaching, on Monday I only taught from 9 to 11, from 7 to 9 I wasn’t teaching, from 1 onwards I wasn’t teaching again, then on Tuesday I taught again. So just group them, for example, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, so on Friday they don’t teach, they can work from home. Then other lecturers might not come to the office on Monday and so on,” said Brian Yuliarto.
In the circular dated 2 April 2026, Mendiktisaintek urged universities to implement proportional distance learning (PJJ) methods.
This lecture policy is specifically aimed at students from the fifth semester upwards as well as postgraduate programmes, but exceptions are given for courses that require physical face-to-face interaction such as practicums, workshops, studios, or clinics.
In addition to adjustments to work patterns and lecture schedules, the circular dated 2 April 2026 instructs the optimisation of digital platform services for academic and administrative activities.