Yogyakarta, April 23, 2026 – The Masters and Doctoral Programs in Management and Public Policy (DMKP) of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, held a seminar titled “Reviewing the Dynamics of Decentralization in Indonesia and a Book Discussion: Theory and Regulation of Regional Autonomy.” The event, open to the public, took place in the 4th Floor Auditorium on Thursday morning (April 23).
This academic forum featured the book’s author, Prof. Dr. Hanif Nurcholis, M.Si., who is also a Professor at Universitas Terbuka. He was also present, along with Yogyakarta Mayor Dr. Hasto Wardoyo and UGM Professor of Public Policy and Management, Prof. Dr. Agus Pramusinto. This discussion delved deeper into the practices of regional government governance and regulations, including leadership mechanisms. Moderated by Evi Sukmayeti, S.IP., MPA, a doctoral student in the MKP program.
In his presentation, Prof. Hanif placed particular emphasis on the fundamental meaning of autonomy. “Autonomy is a legal entity that is community-based and stands on its own two feet, possessing freedom,” he explained.
Despite its independent status, he emphasized that the freedom of an autonomous region remains bound and grounded in the laws that established it. The session continued with a discussion on the book’s contents and a question and answer session.