Fighting corruption requires stronger laws, public oversight, and the habit of upholding integrity in everyday life. Universities have a role in bringing these three together through education, scholarly dialogue, and student engagement with national issues.
That spirit came to the fore at a public dialogue organized by the Student Executive Board (DEMA) of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta in the Convention Hall on the second floor on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Held under the theme “Demanding Commitment to the Asset Forfeiture Bill: Reflections on Two Years of the Prabowo–Gibran Administration,” the forum gave students a space to explore the anti-corruption agenda together with academics, practitioners, and anti-corruption activists.
UIN Sunan Kalijaga Rector Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan stressed that corruption needs to be understood comprehensively. Reforming regulations and institutions plays an important role, he said, but their effectiveness is also tied to culture, social and economic conditions, and the values that prevail in society.
He recalled his time as a visiting researcher at KITLV Leiden, where he read research materials on how corruption has been covered in the Indonesian media since the mid-twentieth century. From that reading, he found that concern about corruption has a long history and has remained a constant issue throughout the nation's journey.
According to Prof. Noorhaidi, this experience is a reminder to evaluate approaches to fighting corruption more deeply. Stronger laws must go hand in hand with education and the formation of people who act with integrity.
“Let us learn from our everyday micro-environments to make sure that our academic activities, student affairs, bureaucracy, and administration are free from all forms of misconduct and manipulation,” he said.
In the university context, he explained, this message covers honesty in completing assignments, responsibility in the learning process, and orderly administrative management. Integrity must grow into a habit practiced by the entire academic community.
The Rector also addressed the use of artificial intelligence in academic work. In his view, the convenience of technology must come with responsibility so that students continue to develop logical, critical, and creative thinking. The learning process must leave room for students to build arguments and produce knowledge through their own thinking.
For this reason, Prof. Noorhaidi applauded the dialogue initiated by DEMA. Discussing the Asset Forfeiture Bill gives students a chance to practice reasoning, test ideas, and express their views responsibly as preparation for leadership.
A similar note was struck by 1998 activist Dr. Selamat Ginting, who emphasized the importance of student involvement in monitoring the anti-corruption agenda. He encouraged students to voice their aspirations through scholarly forums, inter-institutional cooperation, and constructive steps that can reach policymakers.
In his view, public discussions should be followed up with recommendations to the House of Representatives (DPR). In this way, ideas that develop on campus can inform the legislative process and strengthen attention to the public interest, including how education budgets are used.
Meanwhile, Saut Situmorang, Deputy Chair of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) from 2015 to 2019, highlighted the moral and ethical dimensions. He noted that law enforcement and asset recovery must be accompanied by changes in behavior and stronger ethical standards in public life.
Diky, an expert staff member at the Government Communication Agency (Bakom RI), shared his views on how legal instruments relate to one another. He said the Asset Forfeiture Bill needs to be supported by other strengthened legal provisions so that they reinforce each other in practice. Honest reporting by public officials was another aspect that drew his attention.
Arsya Lay of the Nalar Institute stressed the importance of transparency in deliberating the bill and public participation. He voiced concern about the regulation's effectiveness if the public has limited access to scrutinize its substance. Oversight is needed so that the provisions drafted remain in line with the goal of eradicating corruption.
Arsya also highlighted the importance of maintaining oversight mechanisms and checks and balances in a democracy, opening space for expert views, and ensuring that public aspirations receive responses through formal political channels.
Through this forum, DEMA UIN Sunan Kalijaga brought national issues into the public sphere. The discussion of the Asset Forfeiture Bill brought together the need for policy reform and the responsibility to uphold integrity in one's immediate surroundings. From campus, students are encouraged to contribute through well-tested arguments, consistent oversight, and recommendations they can stand behind.
Through this forum, DEMA UIN Sunan Kalijaga affirmed the role of students in monitoring national issues through open, knowledge-based dialogue. The discussion of the Asset Forfeiture Bill serves as a foundation for formulating input for policymakers and for building awareness that fighting corruption requires sustained engagement. From the academic sphere, students learn to connect critical thinking with the responsibility to advocate for the public interest. (humassk)
