Professors Urge Academics to Step Up for National Reform

The Interdisciplinary Intellectual Forum (FIAD), a coalition of professors and scholars, has issued a call to arms for academics in Indonesia. FIAD member Theddeus Prasetyono, who goes by Teddy, implored fellow scholars to step beyond their comfort zones and contribute to addressing the nation's pressing issues. This plea came during the reading of a manifesto at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta, on Thursday, August 13, 2026.

Teddy highlighted that at least 80 intellectuals have already joined the forum, representing a wide range of academic disciplines and expertise.

The manifesto posits that the path to national renewal necessitates a long-term, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral approach. The crisis plaguing Indonesia is fundamentally a governance crisis that has been festering for years, requiring a gradual, targeted, and consistent transformation agenda. Professor Sulistyowati Irianto, another FIAD member, outlined three complementary stages for change.

The first stage focuses on rescuing state institutions and halting democratic decay. The second phase centers on institutional reform and building state capacity, while the final phase envisions a transformation toward an Indonesia that respects its constitutional mandate while addressing 21st-century challenges.

FIAD is urging the government to prevent democratic backsliding and political degradation within the next 12 months. The group's immediate priority is to eliminate governance practices that violate constitutional principles and to restore public confidence in state institutions. This foundation is seen as crucial for deeper reforms in the subsequent phase. Notable intellectuals who read the manifesto include Sulistyowati Irianto, Manneke Budiman, Premana Permadi, Wening Udasmoro, and Arie Sujito.