Jakarta, 21 March 2023 – Throughout February and March, the Partnership for Governance Reform (KEMITRAAN) engaged university officials, lecturers, and students in a five-city roadshow of events, focusing on collaborative new anti-corruption initiatives to enhance campus integrity.
Through events held in Medan, Surabaya, Makassar, Kupang, and Jakarta, KEMITRAAN fostered dialogue on how international best practices in the areas of academic integrity, anti-corruption education, campus good governance, and the prevention of sextortion could be applied in Indonesia’s higher education system. KEMITRAAN also announced a total IDR 1.5 billion in funding opportunities for state universities in these provinces to support pilot initiatives that unite campus management and student representatives in new efforts to enhance integrity.
Campus Integrity Roadshow at the University of North Sumatra, Medan, on 15 February 2023. Left to right: Prof. Dr. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan S.Sc.,M.Sc.,Apt-Vice Chancellor 3 USU (middle-white blazer), Rifqi Sjarief Assegaf-Director of the Democratic Justice Governance and Regionalization Program (right-brown batik), Ahmad Qisai-USAID Indonesia (right-batik cover), Caroline Yulia-Indonesia Corruption Watch (right corner-batik)
Campus Integrity Roadshow at Airlangga University, Surabaya, on 23 February 2023. DLeft to right: Iqbal Felisiano (CACCP FH UNAIR), Meissy Sabardiah (Component Manager USAID INTEGRITAS), Wawan Heru Suyatmiko (Deputy Secretary General Transparency International Indonesia), Agus Sunaryanto (Coordinator Indonesia Corruption Watch), Rifqi Sjarief Assegaf (Program Director Democratic Justice Governance and Regionalization KEMITRAAN), dan P. Maradona, S.H., LL.M., Ph.D. (Deputy Dean III of the Faculty of Law Airlangga University)
Campus Integrity Roadshow at Hasanuddin University, Makassar, on 6 March 2023. Laode M. Syarif, Ph.D – Executive Director KEMITRAAN (wearing white shirt with tie), Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc. – (The Rector of Hasanuddin University (centre front wiearing batik), Prof. Dr. Farida Patittingi S.H.,M.Hum – Vice Rector 3 Hasanuddin University (grey blazer right front), and Dr. Fuad Wiyono, S.H., M.H. – Main Expert Auditor Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Education and Culture (left white shirt).
Campus Integrity Roadshow at Nusa Cendana University, Kupang, on March 20, 2023.
The Campus Integrity Roadshow was supported by USAID, on behalf of the American people, through the USAID INTEGRITAS program. This new 5-year program seeks to address corruption in Indonesia through a dual-tracked approach of systems strengthening and public engagement that facilitates collective efforts among government, the private sector, and civil society to address systemic corruption vulnerabilities and conflicts of interest in the country.
“USAID is a proud partner of the Indonesian people’s efforts to prevent and combat corruption,” said Jeremy Meadows, Director of Democracy, Resilience and Governance at USAID Indonesia. “We believe that by working together with government, civil society, university, and student representatives, we can make concrete progress in addressing the shared threat that corruption presents to our development goals and a more prosperous Indonesia.”
A U4 Anti-corruption Resource Centre study, found that globally, especially in developing countries, universities face significant corruption risks that have serious implications for higher education institutions and for society at large. The study highlighted that corruption ruins the reputations of universities, blocks access for qualified applicants, and can result in unqualified graduates entering professional fields such as construction and medicine who can threaten public health, safety, and well-being.
Indonesia Corruption Watch’s (ICW) monitoring highlights that corruption in education caused IDR 1.6 trillion in state losses from 2007 to 2021, despite it being one of the sectors that is most prosecuted by law enforcement officials.
KEMITRAAN Executive Director Laode M. Syarif said, “KEMITRAAN always strives to advance and institutionalize the principles of good governance in various sectors, especially in public sector. As a public institution and the center of excellent, university must show some leadership in mainstreaming good governance principles and the importance of integrity in the management of educational institutions. We believe that university can play an important role in preventing and educating the public to fight against corruption.”
The Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) Inspectorate General Chatarina Muliana Girsang said, “We believe that by enhancing integrity, strengthening supervision, and promoting effective and efficient anti-corruption measures, as well as implementing corruption prevention programs and anti-corruption values in public services, good and transparent governance in higher education can be achieved – one of the ways to achieve this is through the creation of risk maps and the implementation of regular monitoring and evaluation.”
In November 2022, the Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia (KPK RI) held a forum to strengthen the integrity of the higher education ecosystem, which was attended by 109 university leaders representing 85 state universities and religious affiliated higher education institutes. Deputy for Education and Community Participation of KPK, Wawan Wardiana, stated that the meeting resulted in a commitment from the university association leaders and representatives of state universities. “With the efforts to strengthen 12 areas of improvement, we believe that the integrity of the higher education ecosystem can continue to be enhanced and provide positive results in realizing a more dignified and corruption-free university,” said Wawan.