Head of Undergraduate Law UII Speaks at the IALS Annual Meeting in Bangkok
On 8–10 September 2025, the International Association of Law Schools (IALS) Annual Meeting was held at the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. IALS is an association of law schools from around the world, currently comprising approximately 170 of the world’s leading law schools.
In this year’s annual meeting, Dodik Setiawan Nur Heriyanto, PhD, was invited as a speaker in a session discussing “Updating the Legal Curriculum: What Issues Should Be Addressed and How Do They Fit into the Traditional Curriculum.”
Other panelists included Christopher Mbazira (Coordinator of the Public Interest Clinic, Makerere University School of Law, Uganda), Pavana Kiranmai Chepuri (Head of Strategic Initiatives and Growth, Woxsen University School of Law, India), and Thomas McInerney (Loyola University Chicago School of Law, United States). The session was moderated by Catherine Kelly, Head of Law at the University of Bristol, UK.
In his presentation, Dodik emphasized that undergraduate law curricula in Indonesia must place strong emphasis on instilling anti-corruption values. He explained that since many graduates pursue careers as prosecutors, judges, police officers, and civil investigators, it is essential to ensure they embody integrity, given the prevalence of corruption cases involving law enforcement officials. He stressed the importance of attitude-based and skill-based assessments to ensure students demonstrate integrity and anti-corruption values in class.
Dodik also highlighted the need for innovative teaching methods: “Lecturers should not rely solely on knowledge-based education through lectures. Models such as case discussions, project-based learning, and interactive activities allow lecturers to observe students’ attitudes and skills directly. This approach helps lecturers identify students who may still lack integrity, for instance, those engaging in absenteeism, truancy, or cheating during exams.”
Beyond his presentation on anti-corruption education, Dodik also shared his experience of nearly eight years managing a law program accredited as “Excellent” by BAN-PT and internationally accredited by FIBAA (Germany). He noted: “Our program has produced distinguished legal scholars of integrity such as Artidjo Alkostar, Busyro Muqoddas, Suparman Marzuki, and Mahfud MD. This achievement reflects our implementation of Outcome-Based Education (OBE), which enables lecturers and the program to measure student competencies effectively in class, supported by adequate facilities and a culture of academic freedom—even to the point where students can freely protest against lecturers or faculty leadership.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII), Prof. Dr. Budi Agus Riswandi, SH, MHum, praised Dodik’s participation as a speaker: “Our involvement in this forum goes beyond being passive participants. It is an opportunity to actively present our faculty’s ongoing initiatives while gaining international recognition for our achievements. The Faculty of Law at UII continues to pursue its mission of internationalization through innovation and active participation in global academic forums.”
The IALS Annual Meeting was attended by around 80 participants, many of whom were deans or vice deans of law schools representing all five continents. The event was formally opened by Professor Pareena Srivanit, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Chulalongkorn University; Professor Laura Wen-yu Young, Secretary General of IALS (University of California, Berkeley, USA); and Professor Gabriel Bocksang-Hola, President of IALS. The three-day event featured plenary discussions, breakout sessions on strategic issues in legal education, and networking opportunities among law schools worldwide.
