Public Relations of UPNVJ - Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Law, Faculty of Law, Veteran National Development University Jakarta (FH UPNVJ), Dr. Handar Subhandi Bakhtiar, SH, MH, M.Tr.Adm.Kes., attended the meeting of the Cooperation Agency (BKS) of Deans of the Faculty of Law of the Western Region at the Grand Ballroom of The Hill Hotel and Resort Sibolangit, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra, on October 27–30, 2025. This event discussed curriculum adjustments and governance of the doctoral program in law following the issuance of Regulation of the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Number 39 of 2025 concerning Quality Assurance of Higher Education. The meeting was attended by coordinators and heads of study programs from state and private universities in the western region of Indonesia to align quality standards with new regulations that emphasize flexibility and global impact.
The plenary session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Ningrum Natasya Sirait, SH, M.Li., and Dr. Tengku Keizerina Devi Azwar, SH, CN, M.Hum. The main agenda included Semester Credit Unit (SKS) weighting, mandatory scientific publications, and hybrid learning methods to improve the quality of doctoral law education. Prof. Ningrum, a professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of North Sumatra, emphasized the equality of quality standards between universities as a primary focus.
Participants agreed on academic autonomy in determining the curriculum and graduation requirements, provided they meet the ministry's minimum standards. Discussions on scientific publications referred to Permendiktisaintek No. 39/2025, which is flexible and without uniform rules. These included articles in reputable international journals with a minimum Scopus Q4 rating or national Sinta 2 accreditation. The forum also discussed hybrid learning with a 50:50 mix of face-to-face and online learning to adapt to the digital era.
Prof. M. Hawin, SH, LLM., Ph.D., Head of the Doctoral Study Program at Gadjah Mada University's Faculty of Law, proposed measurable Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), such as a proposal seminar held a maximum of three weeks after the dissertation draft is submitted, to streamline mentoring. The majority of participants rejected accreditation via the Independent Accreditation Agency, opting for the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education (BAN-PT) due to its integration with the national quality system.
Dr. Handar Subhandi Bakhtiar emphasized rapid adaptation to new regulations. "The curriculum must be adjusted to produce relevant legal innovations for society," he said. The UPNVJ Faculty of Law Doctoral Program will strengthen cross-university research collaboration through the Western Region BKS, including an international publication network.
The West Region Law Faculty Association (BKS FH PTN), a collaborative forum for law faculties of state universities, regularly holds this event to develop national legal education standards. This meeting strengthens universities' commitment to improving the quality of doctoral law degrees and aligning higher education with global demands, in line with the vision of Minister of Education and Science and Technology Regulation No. 39/2025.