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Scientific community up in arms over BRIN's 'superpowers'
Indonesia’s scientific community is taking up its issue over the sweeping powers of the national research "super agency", both in and outside the courts.
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A man is silhouetted in the entrance to the now defunct Research and Technology Ministry in Jakarta, as pictured on April 11, 2021. The government has integrated the research ministry with the Education and Culture ministry, while granting greater powers to the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
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s the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) faces growing concern among researchers over its sweeping powers, the Constitutional Court is reviewing a petition requesting that the new super agency be reined in from exercising control over other research institutions.
Heru Susetyo, a member of the Jakarta Research Council (DRD Jakarta) and a researcher at the University of Indonesia law school who filed the petition, is challenging a provision in a 2019 law on the national science and technology system.
The provision in question generally justifies President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s order to consolidate other state-sanctioned research institutions under BRIN, as it stipulates that the purpose of establishing BRIN is "to integrate" research and innovation in the country. In his petition, Heru argued that allowing this integration could potentially jeopardize his work as an independent researcher. He expressed fear that this meant BRIN could determine which research was important to the country.
As the plaintiff, Heru has asked the court to redefine BRIN’s role as merely coordinating research programs and policies among the different research institutions instead of integrating all research in the country, essentially restoring the agency’s original function at its establishment in 2019.
In April, the government dissolved the research and technology ministry that initially supervised BRIN, and then turned the agency into an independent state body with the bigger role of overseeing all research and planning national research programs.
Read also: Reshuffle marks new era of research, innovation
BRIN is now tasked with consolidating four national research institutions, including the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), as well as the research and development arms of all ministries by 2022. BRIN is also authorized to manage and evaluate local research agencies, or BRIDA, that are to be established by provincial, municipal and regental administrations.
