The enactment of Law No. 11 of 2019 on the Science and Technology National System has shed a light on the development of a research ecosystem in Indonesia, and it is expected that the law can boost the quantity and quality of research in various fields of science. However, several analyses have shown that more focus was still placed on research institutions under the government and universities, and that social-humanities sciences still received little attention. This is quite understandable, as the government still faced the challenge of the country’s weak competitiveness in research. Indonesia was ranked 85th out of 131 countries in Global Innovation Index 2020, a condition which has not changed in the last three years despite the quite large number of research institutions supported by the government and universities. The rising number of high-quality independent research institutions, along with the synergy between government-supported research institutions, independent research institutions, and multiple elements in the research ecosystem, is required to enhance Indonesia’s research competitiveness.
The second series of discussion came in the form of a focus group discussion (FGD) with the theme “Toward a Research Ecosystem which Supports the Development of Social-Humanities Research Institutions”. The theme was chosen, as the development of independent think tanks in the social-humanities sciences, including the socioeconomic field, is a crucial aspect in the development of democracy and the formulation of more effective policies, at both the central and regional levels.
Speakers:
- Ismunandar (Deputi Penguatan Riset dan Pengembangan, Kementerian Riset dan Teknologi/Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional)
- Agus Budi Setiawan (Kepala Subdirektorat Anggaran Bidang Riset, Teknologi dan Pendidikan Tinggi, Direktorat Anggaran Bidang Pembangunan Manusia dan Kebudayaan, Direktorat Jenderal Anggaran, Kementerian Keuangan
