National University (UNAS) has officially produced a new doctor in Political Science after Selamat Ginting successfully defended his dissertation in the Open Senate Session of Doctoral Promotion in Jakarta. This scientific research highlights the crucial dynamics of civil-military relations, specifically regarding the placement of active TNI soldiers in civil service posts during the administrations of President Joko Widodo and President Prabowo Subianto.
In his in-depth research spanning over three years, Selamat revealed that a paradigm shift has occurred within the Indonesian military. From originally adhering to a pattern of strict separation, it has now shifted to a systematic and regulation-based administrative integration. According to him, this phenomenon gives rise to the concept of the soldier as an administrative manager, replacing the classic dual-function (dwifungsi) pattern of the New Order era.
Selamat explained that the placement of active soldiers outside the defense realm was triggered by organizational failure to anticipate the effects of extending the retirement age from 55 to 58 years, which led to a surplus of officers. He warned that over-reliance on the military to fill civil posts could hinder democratic consolidation and weaken military professionalism itself.
In a dynamic academic debate session, Selamat answered various objections from the board of examiners, including concerns about the disruption of the civil service (ASN) career system. He emphasized that strengthening civil institutions is the primary solution the state must pursue, rather than opening up space for military command to enter the realm of government bureaucracy.
After undergoing a rigorous evaluation by the examining committee led by Prof. Dr. Erna Ermawati Chotim, M.Si., Selamat was declared to have passed with a distinction of "very satisfactory" (yudisium sangat memuaskan). The session promoter, Prof. Dr. Maswadi Rauf, M.A., appreciated Selamat's perseverance in completing the dissertation of over 400 pages over 11 semesters in order to maintain the depth of cross-regime comparison.
This promotion session was also attended by former Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, General (Ret.) Gatot Nurmantyo, academic Rocky Gerung, and other national political figures. Selamat Ginting's success makes him the 41st graduate of the UNAS Doctoral Program in Political Science, a study program that has held an "Excellent" (Unggul) accreditation since early 2024.
