Potential Overlap Between Lecturer-Researcher Task Force and BRIN

The chair of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR), Hetifah Sjaifudian, has cautioned that a task force proposed by President Prabowo Subianto, comprising lecturers and researchers, could potentially overlap with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. The Golkar Party politician stressed that the task force should be complementary and not replace the functions of existing institutions. According to her, the problem facing the national research ecosystem has never been a shortage of institutions. “Our problem is often not a lack of institutions, but rather coordination and implementation,” Hetifah told Tempo on Wednesday, 1 July 2026.

Hetifah stated that, in principle, Commission X supports the government’s efforts to strengthen science-based policymaking. The involvement of academics is considered important because national development requires a strong scientific foundation. However, she emphasised that the formation of a task force must not merely add a new bureaucratic structure. Experience to date, she noted, shows that not all task forces succeed in achieving their goals.

Hetifah further explained that the effectiveness of a task force is highly dependent on its institutional design. The task force must have clear objectives, a limited working period, measurable success indicators, and a mechanism for following up on its recommendations. “It must not become just a discussion forum or add to the bureaucratic structure without producing a real impact,” she said. Furthermore, the composition of the task force to be formed by President Prabowo Subianto is requested to reflect a diversity of disciplines, universities, and regions, as well as involve young researchers to produce a more comprehensive perspective.

Hetifah said that, to date, Commission X has not received an official explanation from the government regarding the purpose, design, or mechanism for forming the task force. “If the task force later has implications for policies, budgets, or institutions within the scope of Commission X, we hope the government can provide an open explanation to the DPR so that the oversight function can run properly,” she said. Previously, President Prabowo Subianto had asked the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, to form a working group or task force consisting of professors, lecturers, and researchers. The request was made following a closed-door meeting with rectors and lecturers from various universities in Indonesia. “The President asked us to form a group, a kind of task force that will later consist of professors, lecturers, and researchers from universities and BRIN,” Brian said after the closing of the Science, Technology, and Industry Convention in Jakarta on Sunday, 28 June 2026. Brian stated that the task force would help accelerate the achievement of the government’s strategic policy targets across various ministries.