YOGYAKARTA- Permission for foreign researchers to conduct research in Indonesia is still considered complicated, no standardization, and takes a long time. Although there have been changes in political regime in Indonesia, there is still an impression among foreign researchers that the bureaucracy in Indonesia puts political suspicion first before academic confidence in the process of granting permission. "The condition causes a decline in student interest and foreign researchers to conduct research in Indonesia," said Professor of Department of History UGM, Prof. Dr. Bambang Purwanto, M.A, in the event entitled Socialization of Research Activities Permit Procedures for Foreign Higher Education, Foreign Research and Development Institute, Foreign Business Entities, and Foreigners in Indonesia.
The event in the Multimedia Room of UGM on Wednesday (22/9) is a collaboration between the Ministry of Research and Technology with the Office of International Affairs UGM, attended by representatives from Faculties, Study Centers, National Unity and Community Protection agency, and several universities in Yogyakarta.
Bambang added that bureaucratic licensing system assessment in Indonesia which is still complex causes the decline in student and scholars interest in social sciences and humanities researches in almost all world universities to do research in Indonesia.
Most students who do research on Indonesia at overseas universities are Indonesian who are studying there. "Some of the assessment centers focusing on Indonesia have been closed or changed their scope, covering wider areas," he said.
Unfortunately also, there is no clear provision that distinguishes between research that is based on the MOU between universities or collaboration research in equal partnership with private researchers and freelance researchers with personal project as part for a degree or not.
Therefore, Bambang hoped the research licensing should be done as part of cultural diplomacy to promote Indonesia. "Cooperation of formal research under an MOU that gives benefit directly to the development of Indonesian human resources should be prioritized," Bambang expressed his hope.
Meanwhile, in the same place, Head of Sub-Directorate of Facilitation of Community Organizations in Ministry of Home Affairs, Drs. Bejo Santosa, admitted that there are still many foreign researchers who conduct activities outside the permit granted by the government. In addition, not all foreign researchers process their permission through the Ministry of Research and Technology so that many foreign researchers are not recorded properly. "In addition, after conducting research, foreign researchers do not submit tentative final reports to the Regional Head," Bejo explained.
He added that this condition still occurs even though there has been coordination among related agencies, such as the Ministry of Home Affairs, Directorate General of Migration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Research and Technology, Ministry of Man Power, Police, and the State Secretariat. If this continues, it will be an adverse impact on the political condition of the national resilience. "Our task is to facilitate, but if we miss a thing, it will adversely affect the political situation and the resilience of the nation," he said.
On the other hand, Head of Legal and Public Relations, Secretary of the Ministry of Research and Technology, Dr. Ir. Anny Sulaswaty, M. Eng., said that the foreigner’s research in Indonesia should provide benefits to Indonesia. Therefore, the licensing arrangement for foreign researchers, that have been fully regulated in the PP No. 41/2006 on Work Permits for Research and Development of Foreign Higher Education, Research and Development of Foreign Business Entities and Foreigners, is needed. "The study across the country is getting more and more in number, including those who are interested in conducting research in Indonesia, so we must organize and manage them well so as to be beneficial to the nation," Anny said.
To organize the research activities of foreigners, all the requirements and research applications are handled by the Ministry of Research and Technology by involving many teams, such as Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, State Intelligence Agency, Indonesian National Armed Forces, and the Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights. Licensing, monitoring up to sanctions for foreign researchers who violate the rules are done through a coordinating team. "We can not work alone, we should involve many teams," she added.
In her presentation, Anny said that the number of permit for researchers (SIP) from January-August 2010 reached 350 persons/parties, some are foreign researchers from Japan, USA, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Australia, China, and Italy