Research and Innovation

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Researchers from the Institute of Sciences (LIPI) install a prototype of a wind turbine at the Physics Research Center Laboratory at LIPI Puspitek, South Tangerang, Banten, Tuesday (2/7/2019).

On a number of occasions, LT Handoko, the head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), elaborated on the three directions of the institution he has led since April 28, 2021. First, the consolidation of science and technology resources (human, infrastructure, and budget). Second, the establishment of a research ecosystem with an international standard that is open (inclusive), and collaborative. Third, the establishment of a strong and sustainable research-based economic foundation.

What do we expect from the consolidation of science and technology resources? It is the creation or improvement of critical mass, capacity and competence of Indonesian researches in producing inventions and innovations as the foundation for advanced Indonesia in 2045.

Compared to Singapore and Malaysia, research and innovation in Indonesia is low. In fact, in the past Malaysia learned a lot from Indonesia and even recruited lecturers from our country. Likewise, South Korea and India are now advancing rapidly in research and innovation. Here, we can see the possibility that there is something wrong in our scientific or research and innovation tradition and perhaps also in its institutions.

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The state funds spent for research and development (R & D) which reach Rp 37 trillion a year are not small. There should be a lot of research and innovation works with that amount of funds. Handoko’s important statement that needs to be noted regarding this is; "I don\'t want to just justify a tradition, but I want to make it as a tradition at BRIN" (Kompas, 17/5/2021).

In that technocratism, administrators are valued more than scientists and the structural jobs are more pursued than functional ones.

Well, one of the problems that is often considered as an obstacle to national research and innovation is the technocracy trap. The meaning of technocracy here is that scientists spend more time on bureaucratic, administrative, and service matters for various government requests. While there is little time left to really work in the realm of science. In that technocratism, administrators are valued more than scientists and the structural jobs are more pursued than functional ones.

In the book titled “The Floracrats: State-Sponsored Science and the Failure of the Enlightenment in Indonesia” (2011), Andrew Goss, referred to the technocrat scientists as “desk scientists.” They are the people who, “from the desk of the administrative office, constantly take on a myriad of responsibilities—to the state, the nation, the Indonesian people, the local scientific community, as well as to international science—and at the same time set the agenda for the scientific disciplines they are engaged in. ” (p. 142). This condition has shackled research and innovation in Indonesia since pre-independence until now.

In the initial plan, BRIN will have to complete the consolidation measure at its institution on Jan. 1, 2022 before moving to other agendas.

One of the indicators that BRIN will later not be caught in the trap of technocratism is how quickly it can consolidate institutional and internal issues. In the initial plan, BRIN will have to complete the consolidation measure at its institution on Jan. 1, 2022 before moving to other agendas. Can BRIN be better than the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) in managing internal problems? BPIP was once criticized by one of its steering board members, Ahmad Syafii Maarif. In his article “The Paralysis of Pancasila” (Kompas, 31/5/2021), he said that although it had been in operation since 2017, “BPIP is still busy with internal organizational restructuring.” .

DOKUMENTASI LIPI

Cibinong Science Center and Botanical Garden (CSC-BG) area in Cibinong, West Java.

This institutional issue is certainly not simple because BRIN will become a "big house" that combines various non-ministerial research institutions (LPNK), such as the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan), the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Lapan)and the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT). The challenge is that this will turn BRIN into a "superagency". With the various fields and disciplines that researchers have, they will be able to make it "overarching".

In addition to issues related to management and institutions or bureaucracy, there are also cultural issues in research and innovation in Indonesia that require attention. This paper will only present three things, namely related to international scientific publications, degrees and scholar appreciation, and belief in science and research itself.

Universities and research institutions have made international publications as requirement for graduation from doctoral programs, promotions, proposals to become professors, and to receive salary allowances. When international publications or "scopusization" were encouraged, many of our scientists and researchers took shortcuts. Some became entangled in the bogus Scopus or they published manuscripts in predatory journals. It was not a scientific process that was taken, but paying tens of millions of rupiah to be able to publish their articles in journals claimed to be Scopus indexed journals or other global indexed journals.

In fact, of the Scopus indexed international publications produced by Indonesian scholars, perhaps, only half or even less which were written with good academic standards.

This results in the emergence of Scopus brokers who can help fulfill academic requirements for a fee. With this broker, people who don\'t have manuscripts or research works can suddenly have ones and published in "international journals". In fact, of the Scopus indexed international publications produced by Indonesian scholars, perhaps, only half or even less which were written with good academic standards. This is a disease in our scientific world. In fact, the purpose of the requirement to write in international publications is to ensure the papers written by Indonesian researchers can be read, reviewed, assessed, and then referred by peers or colleagues consisting of other scientists from various parts of the world.

Kompas

In this picture taken on April 29, 2020, engineers work on monkey kidney cells for an experimental vaccine for the COVID-19 coronavirus inside the Cells Culture Room laboratory at the Sinovac Biotech facilities in Beijing. - Sinovac Biotech, which is conducting one of the four clinical trials that have been authorised in China, has claimed great progress in its research and promising results among monkeys.

Our culture of research and innovation has also been polluted by the sale of academic degrees in a super easy way, including honorary degrees. A bachelor\'s degree is a kind of proof of knowledge, expertise, and academic works. It is also a kind of license to join and speak in a particular discipline. If it is obtained in the wrong way, it can break the order or create “chaotic traffic”. Sadly, as Herlambang Wiratraman (Kompas, 21/12/2020) wrote, "Campuses in Indonesia are increasingly politicized by power." They are powerless before political parties and government officials or even sell themselves to power.

The next cultural problem is not using research and science as the basis for policies or attitudes. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, for example, has never fulfilled the invitation to attend an event held by the Indonesian Academy of Young Scientists (ALMI). Regarding the handling of Covid-19, comments or government policies are also based on politics rather than research. East Java is the area which has the highest death rate due to Covid-19. A government official once said that the region could survive the pandemic because the people always performed a “qunut” prayer.

Interesting articles that criticize Indonesia\'s policies in dealing with the pandemic include "Military Politics in Pandemic Indonesia" (2020) by Jun Honna. If other countries rely on research and scientists in Indonesia, the military takes a bigger role.

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

Ahmad Najib Burhani

AHMAD NAJIB BURHANI, Research Professor at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).