Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The Senate Chair of Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jakarta (UPNVJ) has raised concerns over the unresolved rector election for the 2026–2030 term. The chair has called on the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology to provide a clear election schedule and an open explanation to the Senate regarding the continuation of the process.
“Given the authority vested in him, the Minister could actually make a decision and set the election schedule so that the process of selecting the rector candidates, together with the ministry, can proceed. The UPNVJ Senate and Rector Election Committee are ready to carry out the process and ensure that it complies with the applicable regulations,” said Irsyaf Marsal, Chair of the UPNVJ Senate.
According to an official UPNVJ publication dated October 6, 2026, three candidates advanced to the election stage: Anter Venus, who received 30 votes; Memen Kustiawan, with two votes; and Abdul Halim, also with two votes. The three candidates had also drawn their ballot numbers in preparation for the election stage involving the minister.
The publication stated that the election schedule was still awaiting approval from the ministry. The Senate continued coordinating efforts to ensure that the process followed the established procedures. However, the election had yet to take place by the time the incumbent rector’s term ended.
According to Irsyaf, the ministry’s authority should be accompanied by adequate communication explaining why the final election had not been held, what further stages remained, and the target date for completing the process.
He also stressed the importance of examining every complaint objectively and fairly, while providing the parties concerned with an opportunity to clarify the allegations. This would ensure that complaints could be handled without creating prolonged uncertainty. He added that complaints submitted in stages had already been clarified transparently and objectively by teams from the Directorate General of Higher Education and the Inspectorate General.
Meanwhile, in an official statement issued on October 28, 2026, UPNVJ announced the appointment of Nur Syarifah, S.H., LLM, as acting rector, effective October 27. The appointment followed the end of Prof. Anter Venus’s term on October 26.
The statement said the appointment was intended to maintain leadership continuity and academic services until a permanent rector was inaugurated. The Senate said it respected the ministry’s authority and supported the continuation of the election process in a transparent, accountable, fair, and democratic manner.
Sri L. Wahyuningroem, a Senate member involved in the UPNVJ rector election, said the ministry should serve as an example of democratic practices for higher education institutions.
“Clarity that we are moving forward to the next stage of the rector election is necessary to maintain the academic community’s trust in the process and ensure that the stages already completed receive appropriate follow-up,” Sri said in an interview on October 30.
According to Sri, the committee and Senate had conducted the candidate nomination and screening stages in accordance with the rector election regulations. All stages had been scheduled in an orderly manner, in compliance with the rules and on time.
However, the process, which had been underway since April 2026, was not followed by the joint election with the minister, who holds 35 percent of the voting rights, even though interviews with the minister had already taken place.
The absence of the ministerial election process meant that no permanent rector was appointed before the incumbent’s term ended. Sri said no adequate and transparent explanation had been provided regarding the delay in the rector election. (*)
