Depok, 4 December 2025 — The Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI), through the Innovation and Comparative Governance (ICG) Research Cluster, held Public Lecture Series 4 entitled “Benchmarking the Anti-Corruption Spirit: Lessons Learnt from Other Countries.” This event marked the closing of the Anti-Corruption and Governance (AKG) course public lecture series, which throughout the semester was designed to strengthen public integrity awareness among students, prospective policy analysts, and future practitioners.

The public lecture featured Dr. Ir. Wawan Wardiana, M.T., Deputy for Education and Community Participation of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), as the main speaker.

The event was opened by Prof. Dr. Teguh Kurniawan, M.Sc., Head of the ICG Research Cluster at FIA UI, who emphasized that learning from global anti-corruption practices is essential in formulating policies that are contextual for Indonesia.

“Integrity is not solely the responsibility of anti-corruption institutions. It is a collective effort, starting from the classroom, the bureaucracy, to all levels of society,” Prof. Teguh stressed.

In his presentation, Dr. Wawan discussed anti-corruption practices from countries with high Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) scores such as Singapore, New Zealand, Sweden, Japan, and several European countries. He explained that the success of these countries does not merely stem from legal discipline, but from their ability to internalize integrity values as a public culture.

Japan, for example, builds integrity through moral education (dōtoku) instilled from a very early age; Sweden strengthens public trust through institutionalized information transparency; while Singapore maintains bureaucratic integrity through competitive remuneration to minimize opportunities for corruption, alongside character and civic education from the school level.

Dr. Wawan also compared the working patterns of anti-corruption agencies such as Singapore’s CPIB, Hong Kong’s ICAC, South Korea’s ACRC, and Malaysia’s MACC. According to him, these institutions share similar strategic approaches through enforcement, prevention, and public education. However, he underlined that not all high-integrity countries rely on a single institution like the KPK.

Nordic countries such as Denmark, Finland, and Norway demonstrate that a mature public ethics culture, multi-layered oversight systems, and transparent bureaucracies can suppress corruption without the presence of a single central anti-corruption agency. The emphasis is clear: corruption eradication depends on systems, not on one institution alone.

Speaking about relevance for Indonesia, Dr. Wawan appreciated the increase in Indonesia’s CPI score in 2024 to 37/100, while reminding the audience of the importance of continuously strengthening public integrity across sectors. He emphasized that national anti-corruption development must integrate bureaucratic reform, strengthening corruption prevention through integrity-based assessments, data transparency, and the inculcation of anti-corruption values in schools and universities.

Dr. Wawan reiterated the urgency of a collective movement: “Corruption is a development crisis.” According to him, corruption is not merely a legal violation, but a humanitarian and welfare issue due to the enormous social costs it creates. He added that anti-corruption efforts must go beyond enforcement and move toward systemic, collaborative, and long-term education-based change.

The public lecture, held at the EDISI 2020 Auditorium, Building M, FIA UI, was enthusiastically attended by students, lecturers, and public policy practitioners. The event concluded with Dr. Wawan’s call to strengthen the role of society in oversight and to build a culture of integrity starting from educational environments.

It is hoped that the comparative knowledge gained by students will not stop at theoretical understanding, but will develop into ethical movements in daily life, public administration, and policymaking. Through this Public Lecture Series, FIA UI reaffirms its commitment to serving as a space for shaping reform-minded generations who understand corruption not only as a legal crime, but as a threat to national dignity and the future of Indonesian democracy.