Universitas Indonesia (UI) inaugurated Prof. Dra. F. Fentiny Nugroho, M.A., Ph.D., as Professor of Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) on Saturday, December 21, at the Makara Art Center, UI Depok Campus. In the inauguration led by UI Rector, Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU., Prof. Fentiny delivered her inaugural speech titled “Kebijakan Global dan Penanggulangan Kemiskinan Melalui Kolaborasi Pentahelix” (Global Policy and Poverty Alleviation Through Pentahelix Collaboration).
In her inaugural speech, Prof. Fentiny discussed the issue of poverty in Indonesia which requires the government’s attention. The issue of poverty is a challenge for Indonesia on its journey to achieve the vision of Indonesia Emas 2045 and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target number 1, namely No Poverty.
She further said that the problem of poverty is a “multi-faceted” thing that is common in various countries but its complexity is different. In developed countries, poverty tends to only involve a small portion of society, while in developing countries, the poverty rate is massive, often involving almost half or more of the population.
Prof. Fentiny said that poverty is increasingly concerning with global policies, such as free trade. This global policy has become a common phenomenon throughout the world. Many parties are optimistic that free trade will lead to prosperity, but many parties also observe that free trade can lead to poverty, especially for marginalized groups in developing countries, especially because of the unpreparedness of developing countries to enter the highly competitive free trade era.
She added that free trade can contribute positively to the economic growth of developed countries, but developing countries have limitations in terms of human resources and the economy to be able to carry out free trade in a targeted manner. To analyze this, minimizing the negative impacts of free trade is very much needed for developing countries, especially Indonesia.
Not only in theory, Prof. Fentiny also uses case illustrations to illustrate the issue of poverty and free trade, namely related to imported goods and staple foods that flood Indonesia. This army of imported foodstuffs increases the price of foodstuffs, for example, apples and potatoes. In the end, free trade, which is expected to be the right policy for economic growth, becomes contradictory to the reality faced in the field.
In addition, the issue of free trade is a collective issue that is a global issue today, which includes third-generation Human Rights (HAM). Prof. Fentiny said that if society becomes poorer due to free trade due to unpreparedness to compete globally, then this is a third-generation human rights violation. As stated in third-generation human rights, society should have the right to benefit from world trade and economic growth.
Seeing all the issues related to poverty, human rights, and free trade that are interrelated, Prof. Fentiny offers pentahelix collaboration as a solution to the negative impacts of free trade in Indonesia. According to her, the formation of a national committee that focuses on handling free trade issues is very necessary to overcome free trade issues, and can handle these problems from internal aspects, for example, related to export products, and external, related to imported products, as well as overseeing the implementation of policies originating from the World Trade Organization (WTO), so as not to harm Indonesia in terms of the economy.
This National Committee is also expected to be able to use the Social Development Strategy with three aspects, namely individuals, society, and government. This strategy can also be used for five pillars, namely government, academics, the business world, society, and the media. In carrying out its duties, the National Committee must carry out its mission holistically, covering capacity development individually, economically, socially, culturally, and environmentally.
However, considering that the issue of poverty alleviation is a global issue, Prof. Fentiny said that there should be one more element that needs to be added to the pentahelix, namely the International Institution/Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), which has a bias towards developing countries in the context of free trade. This NGO conducts research to show evidence-based data. In addition, international NGOs can accompany and help advocate for developed countries and the WTO.
Therefore, Prof. Fentiny recommends that what is implemented in poverty alleviation as an impact of global policy (free-trade policy), is not only pentahelix, but pentahelix plus. “Pentahelix Plus will strengthen Indonesia in gaining benefits from free trade, and hopefully in the future, our poverty rate can decrease to reach ‘no poverty’ as outlined in the SDGs,” said Prof. Fentiny.
Up to now, Prof. Fentiny has been actively conducting various studies, including Kekerasan Terhadap Perempuan Pekerja Migran di Taiwan (Violence Against Migrant Women Workers in Taiwan, 2023); Pemenuhan Hak Asasi Manusia Generasi Kedua pada Kelompok Masyarakat Termarginal (Fulfillment of Second Generation Human Rights in Marginalized Community Groups, 2018); Assessment and Intervention on Child Abuse: Kindship Guardianship (2018-2019); and Dampak Positif Perdagangan Bebas Global pada Petani Ikan Hias di Depok, Jawa Barat (Positive Impact of Global Free Trade on Ornamental Fish Farmers in Depok, West Java, 2016).
Before obtaining a professorship in Social Welfare Science, Prof. Fentiny graduated from UI with a Bachelor of Social Welfare degree in 1985. Then, she completed her education at the University of Kent, England, majoring in Social Work in 1989. In 2005, she successfully earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Curtin University, Australia, majoring in Social Work and Social Policy.
In the inauguration procession as the 46th UI professor which was inaugurated this year, also present were the Chairperson of the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission Dr. Atnike Nova Sigiro, M.Sc.; Acting Governor of East Java Adhy Karyono, A.Ks., M.A.P.; Acting Regent of Tangerang Dr. Drs. Andi Ony Prihartono, M.Sc.; Deputy for Population and Manpower of the Ministry of National Development Planning/BAPPENAS Drs. Pungky Sumadi, MCP, Ph.D.; Head of the Center for Village, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Human Resources Training, Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia Dr. Fujiartanto, MM, M.Si, MA.; and Director of Urban Areas and State Borders, Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Drs. Amran, M.T.
