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Local scholars call for review of research permit process
The Research, Technology, and Higher Education Ministry claims it has expedited the application process for foreign research permits, but local scientists say it is still not enough
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span>The Research, Technology, and Higher Education Ministry claims it has expedited the application process for foreign research permits, but local scientists say it is still not enough.
The ministry’s secretary of foreign research permits, Sri Wahyono, denied claims made by foreign scientists that it could take months to apply for a permit.
The government has taken measures to accelerate the process by conducting a virtual meeting within the Coordination Team for the Issuance of Foreign Research Permits (TKPIPA), Sri told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. “We’ve eased the process through a one-stop service and online single submission for foreign scientists.”
The TKPIPA consists of several institutions, including nonacademic ones such as the National Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Defense Ministry.
In order to get a research permit, foreign researchers are required to submit research application documents online to the ministry and obtain a recommendation letter from an Indonesian embassy or consulate.
The ministry’s director general for research and development, Muhammad Dimyati, said the government had accelerated the research permit application process from 21 days to only nine days.
However, applicants are still required to report to several institutions once they arrive in the country, which might add on another 15 days before they can start their research.
“We are taking measures to simplify the process and not complicate it, but those who don’t comply with the rules will be punished,” Dimyati said.
Sri also claimed that the government had allowed discretion by using the TKPIPA Virtual Meeting Information System (SIVITA) to expedite the proposal review mechanism to two to three days during earthquake and tsunami disasters to allow foreign researchers to enter the country.
“We let 40 scientists use visas on arrival because we understood that they needed scientific evidence on tsunamis before the data was permanently eradicated,” Sri told the Post.
It is believed that many foreigners have been using tourist visas to conduct research in Indonesia because it can take more than six months to get a research permit.
The government recently began clamping down on foreign researchers who fail to obtain the necessary legal documents.
Indonesian Institute for Sciences (LIPI) researcher Dewi Fortuna Anwar, however, said that some foreign scientists were still finding the permit application process onerous.
“Some say the process has been eased by the government, but others say that it has been tightened,” she said. If anything, she added, the government must involve more stakeholders in determining the approval of foreign research applications. “The problem is not only time constraints but also other aspects as well.”
She said the TKPIPA must involve other stakeholders in order to encourage research development. “Local researchers and lecturers must be involved in the process to provide a perspective on scientific considerations rather than national interests,” she said.
She added that the clauses in research permits were too complicated for foreign researchers who wished to conduct research.
“The obligation for foreign scientists to pay for the accommodation of their local counterparts is burdensome because not all of them are rich,” she said.
Another LIPI researcher Herry Yogaswara said the TKPIPA process, in which many institutions are involved in determining the outcome of foreign researcher permit applications, must be streamlined as it hinders research development in Indonesia
“The solution is to have more faith in local research institutions in considering the issuance of foreign permits because the institutions have their own considerations based on research values.”
