Trisakti University is in the Process of Becoming a Legal Entity PTN

"The tireless journey towards remarkable achievements! Trisakti University is now in the process of becoming a state university (PTN-BH). Join us in this change and witness together the steps towards a more inclusive and quality education in the future!" as announced on Trisakti University's official website.

Also read: Tuition Fees Are Increasingly Higher, Legal Entity State Universities Need to Be Examined

The Institutional Director of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), Lukman, confirmed in Jakarta on Wednesday (8/5/2024) that there is a plan in progress to transform Trisakti University, one of the Private Universities (PTS) in Jakarta, into a State University-BH.

PTS formation can be carried out by the government if the foundation is willing to transfer ownership to the government. At Trisakti University, there is government investment.

In the explanation of PTS, it usually starts from the State University as a unit of work (satker). The government funds the implementation of education until it transforms the existing lecturers and education personnel into government employees.

"To transform private universities into state universities requires funding from the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) of around Rp 5 trillion to Rp 10 trillion. If they are directly classified as state universities, it means they must be financially independent so as not to burden the state finances," he said.

Lukman affirmed that the plan to change the status of PTN-BH at Trisakti University does not mean "privatization". Similar opportunities are open for other interested private universities, as long as they fulfill government regulations. "Everything is still waiting for the government's regulation draft. It is hoped that it can be completed this year," he said.

Lukman explained that in the early days of the establishment of Trisakti University in 1965, the government played a big role, then along the way it was purely managed by the Trisakti Foundation, until this private higher education institution developed. However, conflicts arose within the foundation, disturbing the education process for a while.

The government, through the Ministry of Research and Technology, intervened in 2016 to save the academic process of Trisakti University from prolonged conflict. The rector of Trisakti University was then led by an official from the Directorate General of Research and Technology, Ali Ghufron Mukti, from 2016 to 2021. Since 2021, it has been led by a permanent rector, Kadarsah Suryadi, former rector of Bandung Institute of Technology.

Lukman added that the management of the foundation at Trisakti University is becoming more conducive. There are representatives from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Defense within the foundation. Lukman has become the Chairman of the Trisakti Foundation's Board.

"Actually, Trisakti University can already operate well even without the status of a state-owned BH university. However, we want Trisakti University to no longer rely on individual contributions because there is already government investment and plans to become a state-owned university. However, the direct status should be that of a state-owned BH university so that it can be managed freely and autonomously," said Lukman.

Now, Trisakti University has achieved excellent accreditation. It is also financially strong, has businesses to generate income beyond student tuition fees, and has a social awareness and impact on national and community development. This condition will decline if Trisakti University's privatization as a state university begins with the status of a unitary PTN (National Public University), since it is more appropriate to have the status of a PTN-BH (Public Higher Education Institution under the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education).

"The Trisakti Foundation supports it. Until now there has been no appointment because it is still in the process of meeting the requirements to become a state university (PTN-BH). Later, it will be handed over to the government and the financial feasibility will be carefully reviewed," said Lukman.

If the legal umbrella has been established, other private tertiary institutions also have the same rights to apply to become state-owned universities. Currently, there are about 150 accredited excellent private tertiary institutions that are eligible, but there are still a number of other requirements that must be fulfilled.

When a private higher education institution transitions to become a state-owned enterprise, it does not mean that it can freely enroll as many new students as possible. This is because there is a requirement for the ratio of lecturers to students that must be adhered to, as it has an impact on accreditation evaluation.

In addition, private universities that become state universities with legal entities must meet the minimum requirement of 20 percent of their students receiving scholarships such as the Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) for college, but not from the government quota. "Trisakti University has provided scholarships for around 15 percent of total students. The determination of tuition fees refers to the single tuition fee set by the government," said Lukman.

Gradually, according to Lukman, state universities in Indonesia will transition into state university-owned enterprises (PTN-BH). Currently, there are only 21 PTN-BH focused on pursuing quality to become world-class universities. Indonesia currently only has five state universities ranked in the top 500 in the world.

Quality focus

Separately, the Chairman of the Indonesian Private Universities Association (APTISI) Central, Budi Djatmiko, explained that the nationalization of private universities is possible. The presence of public universities is needed as a support for the community, especially in rural and remote areas to open access to higher education. It is equally important to prioritize the improvement of postgraduate and rare study programs.

"If we make state universities into non-state ones, it's basically the same as turning them into private universities. State universities will also be in search of money and won't be focused on being the backbone in improving higher education quality that our nation needs," he said.

According to Budi, offering Private Higher Education Institutions to become State-Owned Higher Education Institutions is not a real solution. This is seen as the government's way of shirking its responsibility to seriously increase the state budget to support high-quality, relevant, and affordable higher education. This policy also creates increasingly unhealthy competition between Private Higher Education Institutions and State-Owned Higher Education Institutions.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Association of Private Higher Education Institution Organizers in Indonesia (ABPPTSI), Thomas Suyatno, stated that they reject the nationalization of private universities. Moreover, being a state-owned university is considered not in accordance with the regulations above it, namely Law Number 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System and Law Number 12 of 2012 concerning Higher Education.

Also read: Minimum Higher Education Budget, Access to College in Indonesia Still Difficult

According to Thomas, PTS was established as a non-profit legal entity which is generally in the form of a foundation. Within the foundation, there are three organs, namely supervisors, executives, and overseers. The highest authority lies with the supervisors. "The government must be extra careful in managing PTS if not through the prevailing regulations in the field of higher education and rules regarding foundations," he said.