Jakarta, July 30, 2025 – The Faculty of Law of the National Development University “Veteran” Jakarta ( UPNVJ ) reaffirmed its commitment to producing quality and impactful law students in an activity themed “Producing Quality and Impactful Law Students: Internships as a Pillar of Legal Transformation and Community Service.” This activity presented H. Muhamad Nur Purnamasidi, S.Sos., M.AP. , Member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, as the main speaker.
In his presentation, Nur Purnamasidi stated that impactful internship programs are a crucial element in bridging the gap between legal theory taught in the classroom and legal practice in the field. He emphasized that internships are not merely additional experience, but rather a core part of the process of developing the professional character of law students. This aligns with Minister of Education and Culture Regulation No. 3 of 2020, which explicitly mentions internships/work experience as part of the higher education curriculum.
He further explained that the current needs of the legal world extend beyond theoretical mastery to include soft skills and practical experience. Data from the 2023 World Economic Forum (WEF) shows that graduates with adaptability, communication skills, and real-world work experience are in greater demand in the era of digital transformation and global law.
The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), through Commission X, plays a strategic role in ensuring the successful implementation of impactful programs. Legislatively, the DPR is pushing for a revision of the National Education System Law to ensure the principles are permanently adopted within the national legal framework. Budget-wise, the DPR allocates and oversees the state budget (APBN) funds used by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology to finance this program. In its oversight function, the DPR is active through hearings, working visits, and evaluations of internships, including international internship programs.
The House of Representatives' commitment to quality legal internships is also demonstrated through its support for strengthening collaboration between universities, the government, and the professional world using a triple helix approach. Collaboration with law firms, courts, legal aid institutions, and civil society organizations is considered crucial to broadening the scope and relevance of student internships. Furthermore, the House continues to push for the development of a legal framework and policies that support MBKM, particularly in the legal field.
However, Nur Purnamasidi also highlighted several challenges, such as an incompletely adaptive legal curriculum, limited capacity of partner institutions, and a weak monitoring and evaluation system. He suggested more adaptive regulations, an accreditation system for internship partners, and the use of digital technology to monitor internship progress in real time.
He also emphasized that students need to be more active in identifying their interests and potential from the beginning of their studies, and utilize internship programs as a means to hone their competencies and increase their contribution to law-based community service.
"Internships must be positioned as the foundation for transforming legal education, as well as a pathway for students to make a real impact in society. The House of Representatives (DPR) will continue to ensure that our education system produces legal graduates who are professional, adaptive, and relevant to the needs of the times," he stressed.