In What Ways University in Indonesia as World-Class University Can Produce a Global Competitive Human Capital - Case Study: Telkom University

Sep 10, 2026

Uploaded by Mason

Indonesia’s limited number of World-Class University (WCU) institutions is linked to bureaucratic governance, insufficient facilities reliant on government subsidies, and university management that is not yet professional, autonomous, or independent, alongside unequal policy treatment for private universities. The study applies a qualitative case-study methodology to analyze and resolve these issues. The Telkom University case indicates that both state-owned and private universities require supervision, guidance, and equal treatment through long-term planning, benchmarking, international cooperation, and encouraged academic autonomy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages8

Reading Time20 min

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Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

Research Methodology

Indonesian Higher Educations Position

In What Ways University in Indonesia as World-Class University Can Produce a Global Competitive Human Capital (Case Study: Telkom University) Dr. Djoko Murdowo, MBA Telkom University, Bandung Indonesia Abstract The small number of universities in Indonesia that can be considered as World-Class University (WCU) is due to: bureaucratic university governance, facilities that are still depend on the government subsidies, as well as university management that is not yet professional, autonomous and independent, not to mention the discrimination of policy treatment on private university. This problem should be resolved immediately, considering that in the current global competition era, every country including Indonesia is in desperate need of competent human resources, and it cannot be denied that university is a container that should be able to provide human resources that can directly dive into various work fields. Research methodology used to analyze and solve the problem in this paper is qualitative method with case study approach. Lesson learned from the case study of Telkom University is it is necessary to supervise not only state-owned universities, but also private ones, offering them guidance and support. Private universities should be given equal treatments. The author of this article recommends that a long-term masterplan about the number of universities in Indonesia which classified into two types (state university and private university) should be drawn. The management pattern of universities should embrace the concept of “higher education as industry” as practiced in many developed countries. Continuous benchmarking and international cooperation should be made. Academic autonomy should be encouraged. In principle, a big private university, such as Telkom University, that has potential to be WCU, still needs some guidance and assistance. Keywords: World-Class University, Human Capital Introduction One way to develop the future well-being is through investment in human capital. Investing in human capital can be pursued by many ways, such as the provision of quality education, medical care and acquisition of information for economic system (Becker 1962) . In recent years, the Indonesian government has pushed both the state-owned universities and private universities in the country to maximize the returns of their investments. In this way, it is hoped that they will be able to compete in the local and global markets. Given the idea of building World-Class Universities (WCU) has become a necessity for Indonesian universities, the concept of WCU has not been truly understood. As pointed out by Peter G. Altbach (2003, p.4) elsewhere as in Indonesia,“Everyone wants a WorldClass University. No country feels it can do without one. The problem is that no one knows what a World-Class University is, and no one has figured out how to get one. Everyone, however, refers to the concept”. At best, WCU is commonly understood through the business of rankings made and published by a few organizations such as Shanghai Jia Tong University (SJTU); Times Higher Education (THE); Quacquarelly Symonds (QS); Webometric. What Salmi Jamil (2009, p. 19) has suggested as the “three complementary factors at play” that condition the development of WCU, namely a high concentration of talent, abundant resources and favorable governance, seem to have not found their resonance in Indonesia. Along with this problem, as suggested in the abstract of this article, most Indonesian universities still face many challenges in order to build their reputation both locally and globally. Some of the challenges may not be unique for any universities attempting to aim higher. They are part of the political and cultural variation in World-Class Universities (Marginson, 2012), which will bethe focus of discussion in this article. Research Methodology This research is a qualitative research with case study approach. According to Keirl and Miller in Moleon

FAQs

Why are there few World-Class Universities in Indonesia according to the paper?

The paper attributes the shortage to bureaucratic governance, facility limitations dependent on government subsidies, unprofessional management, and discriminatory policy treatment toward private universities.

What research method does the paper use to address the problem?

It uses a qualitative research approach with a case study methodology.

What does the Telkom University case suggest for improving WCU development?

It suggests supervising not only state-owned but also private universities, providing guidance and support, and ensuring equal treatment.

Sep 10, 2026

Uploaded by Mason