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Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat speaking at the 38^th anniversary of the Soegijapranata Catholic University from the Constitutional Court, Thursday (6/8). Photo by Humas MK/Gani.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Higher education must be based on the constitutional philosophy of “developing the nation’s intellectual life,” which includes not only developing academic abilities, but also building the characteristics of Indonesia as a dignified nation, said Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat at the 38^th anniversary of the Soegijapranata Catholic University entitled “Ecological Integrity” on Thursday, August 6, 2020 from the Constitutional Court through Zoom.

Speaking about “The Role of the Higher Education in Building the Indonesian Nationalism and Humanistic Integrity,” he encouraged participants of the event to focus on the challenge of the higher education in solving national problems while also adapting to the times. He said, first of all, the role of the higher education cannot be separated from the shifts in state power. Second, there are efforts to restore the strategic role of tertiary institutions in building humanist and national integrity following the times.

He believes that the actualization of the role of tertiary institutions, which results from shifts in state power, is already contained in Pancasila and is the responsibility of all elements of the nation. Therefore, synergy of all of those elements are needed not only from the three branches of government, but also from the press, which has influences on the state’s policy-making authority.

"Based on the Free Press Theory, the purpose of the press is to supervise the government. This makes the press a part of the four pillars of power. In line with this, mass organizations or NGOs are also present, later reducing the authority of the three existing branches of state power in democratic governance," he said before Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo; Soergijapranata Catholic University Rector Ridwan Sanjaya; Chairman, Secretary, and Management of the Sandjoyo Foundation; Chairmen and Members of the Soergijapranata Catholic University’s Senate, as well as lecturers and students of Soergijapranata Catholic University.

Netizens as Fifth Pillar

Justice Arief further explained that as a consequence of technology developments, virtual spaces exist within the new order of the Indonesian state. Internet-based press has brought forth social media and netizens as a new force that influences state policy-making. He quoted Michael Hauben, who said that today any person has not only a national identity, but also a social one on the internet. He also affirmed (communication strategist) Geoff Livingston’s view that social media has taken part in the mixing of the media that it is worth to be called the fifth pillar or the fifth power. By sharing social media content, netizens can join force to move public opinion. In various fields of policy, this force also moves state policies, not to mention the emergence of social media influencers with the power to move their followers.

“The extraordinary force of the social media shows that what is displayed on the virtual space today may have great influences. At this point, it’s not impossible that the higher education as a moral force is continued to be marginalized by the extraordinary force of the social media,” he said.

Therefore, Justice Arief encouraged the academic community in tertiary institutions to participate in virtual public space by creating attractive, valid, informative, indiscriminating contents based on scientific truths, democracy, and justice that uphold human rights as well as religious and cultural values, diversity, and unity.

He believes that the challenge for the academic community in the future can be new agendas for tertiary institutions to affirms their role in implementing humanist and state values through the ability to create and adapt to everchanging conditions and the developments of information technology in the digital era. Only then can the higher education maintain its role in maintaining humanist and national integrity based on Pancasila. (Sri Pujianti/LA)

Translator: Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Translation uploaded on 8/7/2020 19:27 WIB

Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case where any differences occur between the English and the Indonesian version, the Indonesian version will prevail.

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