Yogyakarta and Bureaucratic Reform Insights

October 29, 2024

Contributor: Dadi Darmadi | Editor: Supriyono | Photo: Dadi Darmadi 


Yogyakarta, Indonesia — On October 24, 2024, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) took a strategic step toward reform by visiting Yogyakarta’s Provincial Ministry Office of Religious Affairs (Kanwil Kemenag) and UIN Sunan Kalijaga. The visit offered UIII an opportunity to observe first-hand the government’s commitment to bureaucratic reform, providing valuable insights for the university’s governance practices.

The UIII delegation, led by Mr. Hatta Aulia, Head of Organization Management, met with high-ranking officials from the Ministry Regional Office for Religious Affairs and was warmly welcomed by Prof. Noorhaidi, Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga. The conversations were comprehensive, covering the Ministry Regional Office’s decade-long reform initiatives and practical applications of these models in state-funded educational institutions. 

“There are some good things happening in government, and we need to take advantage of these positive initiatives,” remarked Prof. Noorhaidi, underscoring the significance of these reforms. His words carried weight for UIII, a young institution seeking to ground its governance in transparency and public accountability. 

Representing Kanwil Kemenag, Mr. Ghozali reflected on the Ministry Regional Office’s journey toward reform. “Since 2015, we’ve faced challenges, but we’re now reaping the rewards. We want to share this experience to inspire other institutions on their path to effective governance,” he said, offering UIII a practical blueprint. 

From digital governance measures to streamlining bureaucratic processes, the Ministry’s reforms have led to a more accountable public sector—precisely the model UIII aims to emulate. For UIII, the visit highlighted both a roadmap and an aspiration: to establish itself as an institution grounded in best practices, ready to serve Indonesia’s higher education landscape with integrity. 

These two visits underscore UIII’s broader commitment to learning from Indonesia’s reform leaders. Each experience adds a new layer to UIII’s approach to governance, setting it on a path toward becoming a transparent and ethical institution in the nation’s academic sector.