Reviewing Our Professors

Various issues regarding professors have been in the spotlight in Indonesia lately, ranging from allegations of jockeying to become a professor to fierce debates about the requirements for scientific writing in international journals at court hearings.

At the same time, the government is vigorously promoting aspirations for world-class universities with various programs launched to raise the quality of education and research in Indonesia. Various parameters need to be met by educational and research institutions in order to be positioned respected in the world's high rankings as a barometer of educational and research achievements, especially in higher education.

One of these parameters is scientific writings or papers published in peer-reviewed journals or often termed as “reputable journals” in our education and research nomenclature.

Professorship requirements

The government’s aspirations for Indonesia to have world-class universities have consequences not only in terms of student graduation or publication in reputable journals. The requirements for the appointment of lecturers, including professors, must follow international standards. The number and quality of publications or papers in international journals are very important to determine the performance and level of expertise of lecturers.

We all hope that Indonesian lecturers and researchers can be rewarded according to international standards so that we can take part all over the world and expand our high-skilled jobs worldwide, and ultimately contribute to the country's foreign exchange.

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One day, Indonesians are expected to receive a Nobel Prize in the field of science and technology native to Indonesia. So, like it or not, we have to follow international assessment standards. We even need to go beyond these standards.

International standards for selection of lecturers, especially professors, in addition to achievements in international publications, are career track records and consistency in certain fields, experience and work in scientific or expert organizations, recognition or awards, book publishing, presentations and invited talks at conferences, the load of courses taught according to their expertise, affiliation of domestic and international scientific organizations, types and amounts of research grants, domestic and foreign research collaborations, patents or products of intellectual property rights (IPR), contributions to the community and the scientific community and contributions to mass media. All of the above describes the level of universal achievement pursued through the Tri Dharma of our university.

Professor selection

Scientific writings or papers in international journals are very important to determine the level of expertise of a prospective professor, in addition to the points above. The number of peer-reviewed scientific publications that are common in the world for someone to be appointed as a lecturer at universities in developed countries is usually about 20 scientific articles for assistant professors, about 30 scientific articles for lecturers [upper assistant professor], more than 35 scientific articles for associate professors and more than 50 scientific articles for professors, according to the age of the candidate.

So, the expected number of scientific articles is according to the candidate's age, for which the publication as first-time author is expected to be as dominant as possible and become a reference for coauthorship of other scientific articles, which are usually written by research colleagues or undergraduate students.

The selection of lecturers or researchers, especially professors, is very strict and is usually part of the concerned university’s international responsibility that demands a transparent, accountable, objective and neutral manner, from the announcement of the pursued position and selection to interviews and the final decision. Recommendations are usually required from three other professors from within and outside the country regarding the candidate's professorship stature.

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Professors are the highest level of lecturers in postsecondary institutions. The status reflects the level of academic professionalism of a person in quality and a profession in a field of expertise that is universally applicable. Therefore, the standard of assessment must really show the expected output of a professor who meets the requirements applicable throughout the world.

In order to appoint a professor that is truly qualified in the field of expertise and potentially respectable worldwide, the selection of professors usually involves many parties as assessors or reviewers, made up not only of internal senior professors but also those from other universities, experts from associations in the field of science from within and outside the country (outside examiners), experts from other research institutions and representatives of universities (rectorates and other departments within the same study school).

The number of reviewers from inside and outside the university must be balanced in order to obtain results with recognized neutrality. Thus, the selected professor is the one who has a widely recognized reputation and ultimately can raise the name of the university and country in the world.

Role of an expert association

Journals of international repute are usually those managed under a scientific association apart from the publications being managed by well-known publishers. Thus, the review procedure is under control and management by an editorial board. The reviewing members consist of the editor-in-chief and co-editor of the expert association whose selection is very strict based on their expertise. They have proven their expertise to have brought about impacts through their publications.

While the journals published under the management of a university or a government departmental are simply classified as bulletins or the equivalent, the scientific articles put on the university-published bulletin cannot be used as material for the selection of lecturers and researchers, especially professors, with international standards.

International reviewers are usually very meticulous in selecting the publications or scientific articles published by university-run journals and classifying them simply as bulletin articles.

The value of objectivity and quality of review can be ensured by involving the role of expert or scientific associations. The involvement of expert associations will also build research culture in our society, and journals under these associations are acceptable to the world. This will elevate the quality of the academic careers of Indonesian researchers and educators.

Toward world recognition

If we aspire and work together for Indonesia to become a developed country soon in the future, we need to immediately change the way lecturers are assessed, especially at the professorship level, into a transparent, accountable, objective and neutral manner.

That way, we can avoid problems like what we have faced lately. Policymakers are expected not only to rely on domestic journals that have been indexed by Scopus and Sinta, but also to monitor whether these journals are under expert associations or not. This way, we hope that papers published in Indonesia can have an impact on science and technology in the world, and our researchers and lecturers can also develop marketable value in order to engage further in international activities.

Let's together improve the quality of research output with high original Indonesia and the country’s education personnel can meet, even exceed, international standards.

Be mindful about pushing for research, only to find that the published journal is only seen by the world as a bulletin publication while at the same time our lecturers and researchers are looking to step up efforts to contribute to the world.

International collaboration by involving foreign researchers and lecturers in research and teaching activities in Indonesia can also accelerate and enhance the expertise of our researchers and lecturers toward world standards, so will their involvement in the management of domestic journals under expert associations.

The publication of scientific articles in international journals requires substantial costs. Financial support programs from policymakers are needed for the sustainability of the quality of publications from Indonesia. Likewise, the financing scheme from research collaboration with industry and private institutions is also a new form of promotion. This must be a common awareness about its worthiness in order to help raise the domestic industry to the international community.

Let's together improve the quality of research output with high original Indonesia and the country’s education personnel can meet, even exceed, international standards.

Josaphat Tetuko Sri Sumantyo

Professor of Chiba University, Japan, and UNS; ordinary member of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences; Habibie Program Alumni Association Expert Council

This article was translated by Musthofid.