Why ITB Students Stormed the Prabowonomics Seminar on Campus

The ITB Student Community disrupted the launch of a book and a national seminar on Prabowonomics held at ITB’s Aula Barat, Bandung, West Java, on Thursday, 5 March 2026. Farell Faiz, president of KM ITB, said there were concerns among students about the event, which featured a number of state officials.

“We are very worried that the event is laden with politicisation, especially discussions and speeches by politicians or state officials conducted without a dialectic with the academic community,” he said when contacted on Friday, 6 March 2026.

Without a two-way discussion with students, the presence of ministers and legislators on campus would simply be a political stage. They are also concerned that the campus’ closeness to state officials without a clear rationalisation could affect scientific truth and the intellectual values that universities should uphold.

“We do not want ITB to become a precedent or a campus that serves as a tool for politics for other campuses,” Faiz said.

In addition, he highlighted the alleged appropriation of ITB student activity logos in the event’s organisation. Faiz stressed that the launch of the book Menggugat Republik and the Prabowonomics seminar had no connection with the student body. Tempo contacted ITB’s Association for Sociological Studies (Perhimpunan Studi Ilmu Kemasyarakatan ITB), the event’s organising committee, but had not received a reply at the time of publication.

Plans to interrupt the seminar were drawn up by several ITB students a day before the event. KM ITB, alongside other student groups, consolidated to protest the politicised event.

That consolidation produced a set of demands directed at Prabowo Subianto’s government. These included opposition to political agendas on campus, scrutiny of the domestic economy, and Prabowo’s foreign policy. “We also demand the release of political prisoners who are still being held,” Faiz said.

The book launch and Prabowonomics seminar were attended by Deputy Speaker of the DPR Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, Chair of Commission X of the DPR Hetifah Sjaifudian, Chair Misbakhun of Commission X, Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono, Minister of Manpower Yassierli, and Minister of Higher Education Brian Yuliarto. The event was also attended by ITB’s rectorate and public figure Rocky Gerung.

Nurlaela Arief, Director of Communications and Public Relations at ITB, said the presence of university leadership was on the basis of invitation. She stated ITB is open to all forms of dialogue from any party. “ITB is a university that upholds scholarly values and openness,” she said when contacted on Friday, 6 March 2026.

Menggugat Republik was written by former Golkar politician Syahganda Nainggolan. He said about 30 percent of the book discusses the concept of Prabowonomics, including his views on leadership of the General Chairman of the Gerindra Party in facing geopolitical and economic pressure. “I wrote this book because I believe President Prabowo is the right person to lead the republic in times of crisis such as now,” he said.

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