January 15, 2026 | 11:46 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of professors from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, were disappointed when attending a dialogue invitation from President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, January 15, 2026. The Directorate General of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology sent an invitation letter with the names of eight UGM professors.
From those eight names, some professors failed to enter the Presidential Palace because their names did not appear on the State Secretariat list. There were also professors who declined the invitation.
Bakti Setiawan, a professor of Urban Planning at the Faculty of Engineering UGM, decided not to attend the forum because he was skeptical about being able to directly convey input to Prabowo. He saw that the number of invited participants was too large to be effective. "How can hundreds of people provide input? The purpose of the event is also not clear," said Bakti when contacted on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
Bakti believed that he could convey input or criticism to the government by writing in journals, which he considered more effective than attending the forum. Bakti heard that several professors who went to Jakarta were unable to enter the Presidential Palace, even though their names were listed in the Kemendiktisaintek invitation.
Tempo tried to contact several professors who failed to enter the Presidential Palace. One of them is a UGM professor who struggled to complete the registration process after finding out that his name appeared on the invitation list.
The professor requested not to disclose his name. A day before the event, the professor had arrived in Jakarta and was prepared to attend the event after hastily arranging a plane ticket. Upon arrival in Jakarta, his name was not listed, and as a result, he could not enter the Presidential Palace.
According to him, UGM staff had assisted in registering his name according to the Kemendiktisaintek regulations. "The committee even asked me to use another university's name so that I could enter," he said.
The professor refused and returned to the hotel where he was staying. In addition to the last-minute invitation, the committee also suddenly changed the event time from 13:00 to 08:00-12.00. The notification was sent by the committee a day before the event.
The professor showed the notification via WhatsApp. The committee stated several requirements for participants, such as holding the invitation letter, being obliged to use the bus provided by the committee, and departing at 05:00.
In addition, the committee prohibited participants from bringing mobile phones, smartwatches, and recording devices during the forum. Participants were only allowed to bring books and writing utensils.
He heard that out of the eight invited professors, only three could enter the Presidential Palace. He said that one of the three people was not yet a professor.
The list of 180 professors appeared in a letter from the Directorate General of Kemendiktisaintek. The hundreds of professors were scheduled to meet with Prabowo on Thursday afternoon, January 15, 2026, to discuss the role of universities in supporting Asta Cita Prabowo-Gibran.
The letter dated January 9, 2026, included an agenda for a briefing and dialogue with the president. The invitation letter was signed by the Director General Khairul Munadi.
State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi has not responded to Tempo's WhatsApp messages regarding several professors who criticized the invitation. Messages sent to the contact number of the protocol officer of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, as stated in the invitation letter, also have not been responded to.
Read: Prabowo Gathers 1,200 Academics at Presidential Palace
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
UGM Researchers Study Sustainable Buffalo Farming as Population Falls
6 hari lalu
Buffalo population has dropped from 2.4 million in the 2000s to 1.1 million in 2022. UGM and partners are now researching anticipatory measures.
UGM Student Executive Board Withdraws from Student Family Body
50 hari lalu
The Executive Board of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta, Indonesia, has announced its withdrawal from the umbrella organization Student Family
UGM Student Board Condemns Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman's Lawsuit Against Tempo
6 November 2025
The Executive Board of the Student Family of Gadjah Mada University (BEM KM UGM) strongly condemns the lawsuit filed by Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman against Tempo for Rp200 billion.
Surge in Post-COVID Flu Cases Prompts Call for Updated Vaccines
30 Oktober 2025
The Ministry of Health previously reported a significant surge in influenza cases based on data as of October 9, 2025.
Former President Jokowi Praises Prabowo's Leadership on His 74th Birthday
17 Oktober 2025
Former President Joko Widodo attended the anniversary of the Faculty of Forestry at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, congratulating President Prabowo Subianto on his 74th birthday.
Half of the Most Endangered Animals Are in Indonesia, Here's What UGM Researcher Suggests
14 Oktober 2025
A report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) stated that of the 10 most endangered species in the world, five are living and breeding in Indonesia
Yogyakarta's UGM Tops List of LPDP Scholarship Recipients
30 September 2025
The University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) campus has become the largest recipient of scholarships from the Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP).
ITB Researchers Lead Indonesia in 2025 World's Top 2% Scientists List
24 September 2025
Sixteen researchers from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) are on Stanford University's 2025 World's Top 2% Scientists List.
UGM, BRIN Team Up on Nuclear-Based Solutions to Control Fruit Fly Populations
25 Agustus 2025
UGM-BRIN collaborations focus on utilizing nuclear technology to control fruit flies, which are known as the main pests in horticulture.
UGM Lecturer Criticizes Food Tray Imports for Free Nutritious Meal Program
14 Agustus 2025
UGM lecturer questions the urgency of importing food trays for the free nutritious meal program and suggests that the domestic industry is ready to produce them.
