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Indonesia keeps watchful eye on foreign scientists. It may come at a price
A foreign researcher who wished to remain anonymous told the Post that the strict visa rules on foreign scientists ended up undermining science.
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A researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) shows a fiber made of cassava nutrients and glycerol at a laboratory in Bandung, West Java. (The Jakarta Post/Arya Dipa)
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strict enforcement of visa rules on foreign scientists in the past three years and a legal initiative to criminalize illegal foreign research could hamper scientific development in the country, local scientists have said.
Since 2016, the government has required that foreign scientists acquire a permit and a “limited stay” visa to conduct research in the country, a policy that critics say practically serves as “red tape” that hinders the work of scientists.
The Immigration Office has denied entry to at least two renowned Australian scholars – Dave McRae of Melbourne University and Ross Tapsell of Australian National University – for alleged visa violations in the past three months.
“The researchers allegedly abused the tourist visa as it was not suitable for the purpose [of their visit],” Immigration Office spokesperson Sam Fernando told The Jakarta Post recently.
McRae and Tapsell, both regular commenters on Indonesian affairs, did not reply to the Post’s emails seeking their comments about the incidents.
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researcher Herry Yogaswara said the strict visa policy could discourage foreign researchers from conducting research in the country. “This will restrict the research network,” he said.
Gajah Mada University lecturer and researcher Bayu Dardias concurred, saying that “in the short and long term, [the policy] will have an impact because there is lot of research collaboration happening now.”
