Priviet Social Sciences Journal - Volume 6 - Issue 8 - Original Article - Critical Theory Perspective Study

Sep 10, 2026

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The transformation of State Universities with Legal Entity status or Perguruan Tinggi Negeri Badan Hukum (PTN BH) marks a major reform in Indonesian higher education governance. Although PTN BH is often criticized as educational capitalism, it is also positioned as policy to strengthen autonomy, improve governance, raise research competitiveness, and advance internationalization. Using Critical Theory, this study examines the tension between institutional autonomy and market-oriented governance through a qualitative semi-systematic literature review, analyzing publications, policy documents, and prior empirical studies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

1. Introduction

Education as democratic and moral formation

Higher education goals and university roles

Policy and system dynamics in Indonesia

Priviet Social Sciences Journal | Volume 6
Issue 8 August, 2026 | Article 34 | | --- | --- | 21-08-2026 PTN BH in critical theory perspective: Capitalism and the commercialization of higher education Safitri Maya Nastiti & Safira Widiana Nariswari To cite this article: Nastiti, S. M., & Nariswari, S. W. (2026). PTN BH in critical theory perspective: Capitalism and the commercialization of higher education. Priviet Social Sciences Journal, 6(8), 510–525. [https://doi.org/10.55942/pssj.v6i8.2037](https://doi.org/10.55942/pssj.v6i8.2037) To link to this article: [https://doi.org/10.55942/pssj.v6i8.2037](https://doi.org/10.55942/pssj.v6i8.2037) Follow this and additional works at: [https://journal.privietlab.org/index.php/PSSJ](https://journal.privietlab.org/index.php/PSSJ)[ ](https://journal.privietlab.org/index.php/PSSJ)Priviet Social Sciences Journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This PSSJ: Original Article is brought to you for free and open access by Privietlab. It has been accepted for inclusion in Priviet Social Sciences Journal by an authorized editor of Privietlab Journals Full Terms & Conditions of access and use are available at: [https://journal.privietlab.org/index.php/PSSJ/about](https://journal.privietlab.org/index.php/PSSJ/about) PTN BH in critical theory perspective: Capitalism and the commercialization of higher education Safitri Maya Nastiti1* & Safira Widiana Nariswari2 1 Sociology Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Cenderawasih University, Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia 2 Civic Education, State University of Surabaya, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia *[email: mayanast1203@gmail.com](email: mayanast1203@gmail.com) Received 11 June 2026 Revised 27 July 2026 Accepted 21 August 2026 ABSTRACT The transformation of State Universities with Legal Entity status or Perguruan Tinggi Negeri Badan Hukum (PTN BH) represents one of the most significant reforms in Indonesian higher education governance. While PTN BH has frequently been criticized as a manifestation of educational capitalism, it has also been promoted as a policy intended to strengthen institutional autonomy, improve governance, enhance research competitiveness, and support internationalization. This study aims to critically examine PTN BH through the lens of Critical Theory by exploring the tension between institutional autonomy and marketoriented governance. Employing a qualitative literature review with a semi-systematic review approach, the study analyzes academic publications, policy documents, and previous empirical studies related to PTNBH, educational capitalism, and higher education governance in Indonesia. The findings indicate that PTNBH should not be understood merely as an expression of educational capitalism but rather as a contested governance model in which institutional autonomy, academic competitiveness, public accountability, commercialization, and social justice continuously interact. Greater institutional autonomy has encouraged innovation, research development, and governance flexibility; however, it has also expanded marketoriented mechanisms through diversified revenue generation, university-industry collaboration, and increasing dependence on non-state funding. From a Critical Theory perspective, these developments illustrate the coexistence of emancipatory opportunities and structural inequalities within higher education governance. The study concludes that the central challenge of PTN BH is not institutional autonomy itself but ensuring that autonomy is implemented within a framework of public accountability, equitable educational access, and the preservation of higher education as a public good. Keywords: PTN BH; educational capitalism; commercialization of education; critical theory. 1. INTRODUCTION Education is the process of forming human intellectual and moral abilities to be able to live democratically and contribute to social l

FAQs

What does the study focus on regarding PTN BH?

It critically examines PTN BH using Critical Theory, focusing on the tension between institutional autonomy and market-oriented governance.

How was the research conducted?

The study uses a qualitative literature review with a semi-systematic review approach, analyzing academic publications, policy documents, and previous empirical studies.

What is the main conclusion about PTN BH?

PTN BH should not be understood only as educational capitalism; its challenge is ensuring autonomy is implemented within public accountability, equitable educational access, and higher education as a public good.

Sep 10, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven