The Higher Education Review

Dr.H. Firman Freaddy Busroh graduated from Bachelor of Law and Masters in Humanities at Sriwijaya University and completed Doctor of Law at Borobudur University with Cum Laude Predicate. He teaches Law Engineering courses, Constitutional Court Procedure Law, Agrarian Law. He has authored 8 books and published several scientific writings in both national and international journals.

Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra province in Indonesia, was a topic of discussion for Indians a few months ago. This historic city situated on the banks of the mighty Musi River was co-hosting the prestigious the 18th Asian Game 2018 – the second biggest multi-sporting event after the Olympic Games - with the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta. For those who traveled to Palembang from India, language was definitely an issue while communicating with the natives out there. However, it was not a significant barrier. Apparently, people of Palembang love Bollywood movies and stars like Shah Rukh Khan, and Amitabh Bachchan have a huge fan following in the city. The variety of food served at the Asian Games Village also seems to be much likable for the Indian athletes and visitors. This means it will not take much time for Indians to feel like home when they arrive at the beautiful city of Palembang.

"STIHPADA provides scholarships from the government and foundations to students who wish to take up courses business law, criminal law, constitutional law, and adat law, which are offered at the institute"

Now, Asian Games is over and why would any Indian visit Palembang, if it is not for being immersed in the

mesmerizing landscapes of Sumatra Island as a tourist? The reason: Palembang offers high-quality education through its world-class education institutions, that too an affordable investment. One such institution located in the heart of Palembang city is Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Hukum Sumpah Pemuda (STIHPADA). The name of the institute may sound like a tough-twister for most of the Indian students; but it roughly translated as, College of Law – Youth Pledge. Founded by Prof. H. Abu Daud Busroh, SH, an eminent personality in the Indonesian legal sector, STIHPADA contributes immensely in the intellectual life of the nation, encourages the provision of human resources in the field of law and develops the skills and quality among the youngsters to face the challenges of modern times.

Why Law Studies in Indonesia?

"The study of law in Indonesia is unique, as we adhere to the ‘Pancasila’ ideology, which is not followed in any other countries. At STIHPADA, we provide courses in understanding Pancasila,” says Dr. H. Firman Freaddy Busroh, Lector, STIHPADA. Pancasila, which comprises two Old Javanese words originally derived from Sanskrit, "pañca" ("five") and "sīla" ("principles"), is the official and foundational philosophical theory of the Indonesian state. The function of Pancasila Ideology is to unify the society and to resolve conflicts within the nation. The five principles of Pancasila Ideology include Belief in the One and Only God, just and civilized humanity, a unified Indonesia, Democracy led by the wisdom of the representatives of the people and Social justice for all Indonesians. "Besides that, legal pluralism in Indonesia is very interesting to learn,” adds Dr. Firman.

Legal pluralism or in other words, the existence of multiple legal systems within one (human) population and/or geographic area, is not new an alien concept for Indians. Indeed, plural legal systems are particularly prevalent in former colonies, where the law of a former colonial authority may exist alongside traditional legal systems. India being once the colony of Britain and Indonesia being ruled by Dutch till 1949 share a lot of similarities in its legal structure. Dr. Firman explains, “Scholars from India who study law at STIHPADA

will have extensive legal knowledge because of the legal pluralism system in Indonesia. The Indonesian Legal Pluralism is influenced by several legal systems such as Civil law, Common law, National law, and Adat law."

An Affordable Law Education

In comparison to the major global destinations for law education, Indonesia offers highly cost-effective, but excellent teaching for international students. In addition to that, STIHPADA provides scholarships from the government and foundations to students who wish to take up courses business law, criminal law, constitutional law, and adat law, which are offered at the institute. Dr. Firman claim, “The tuition fee is cheap and affordable. It can also be paid in installments in every semester.” STIHPADA has been recognized by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and has been accredited by the Indonesian National Accreditation Board of Higher Education. The institute also has extensive networking with both national and international organizations such as University of Kebangsaan Malaysia, International Islamic University Malaysia, University of Cebu, Philippine and Hankuk University, Seoul. STIHPADA is also the only member of the International Association of Law Schools (IALS) from Sumatra Island.

“As a member of IALS, which has several Indian law colleges like Jindal Global Law School and Symbiosis Law School, we will be collaborating with universities in India soon,” mentions Dr. Firman. Today, Indonesia has more 6000 international students studying in its various universities. The city of Palembang also hosts many Indian students who study Medicine at the University of Sriwijaya. “Since we are recognized by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and accredited by the Indonesian National Accreditation Board of Higher Education, the certificate issued by STIHPADA is guaranteed by the state and can be used to continue education in Indonesia and other countries. Apart from that, in Indonesia, we recognize the diversity of religions such as Islam, Christian, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Conghucu. We would love to have as many Indian students as possible in our campus. It will be a great platform for cultural exchange,” concludes Dr. Firman.