I Made Bandem - Educational Administration

Educational Administration

After attaining his Ph.D, Bandem returned to Indonesia from the USA and was appointed as the Chancellor of the Indonesia Dance Academy (ASTI) Denpasar by the Ministry Department of National Education, Indonesia (1982). Since then, Bandem exerted great effort to amplify the institution’s status to become Indonesian Arts College (STSI) Denpasar and now Indonesia Institute of Arts. The efforts to increase the status of the institution to a higher level is not only a matter of political administration, but more a struggle to advocate arts as science, to equally position art in contrast to other field of studies. This struggle becomes imperative as the majority of Indonesia still view art as a profession (vocation), not a substantial field of study.

Bandem’s formulation of art from the perspective of ontology, epistemology, and axiology became the groundwork for the Ministry Department of National Education Indonesia to permit Indonesian art universities to conduct S-1, S-2 (Master of Art), and S-3 (Ph.D.) programs. Bandem’s effort with the collective support from other art scientists in Indonesia entitled Indonesia Institute of Arts (ISI) Jogjakarta to conduct and award Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Doctor of Creative Art (DCA) in the field of art.

As an educational administrator, Bandem was trusted by the Ministry Department of National Education Indonesia to lead ASTI Denpasar (1981-1989), STSI Denpasar (1989-1997) and ISI Jogjakarta (1997-2006). In his 25 years in office, many of his conceptions became the model for the development of art universities in Indonesia.

In 1998, Bandem successfully established Badan Kerjasama Perguruan Tinggi Seni Indonesia (Indonesia Art University Cooperative Board). This association has initiated and produced the “New Paradigm of Art Universities”, a manual being used as the foundation to conduct higher learning of arts in Indonesia. Bandem truly plays a central role in increasing the quality of art education in Indonesia.

In conjunction to his duties as Rector of art universities over the past 25 years, Bandem was also given responsibility by the National Government as Secretary and Consortium Member of Komisi Disiplin Ilmu Seni (Commission for Art Discipline) that is an integral aspect of Indonesia Academy of Sciences. Bandem was also member of Badan Pertimbangan Pendidikan Nasional (Advisory Board of National Education), an organization pertaining national education under the direct supervision of the President of Republic Indonesia. Bandem dedicated his ideas through this governing body to make education in Indonesia as education for unity in diversity and to influence the government to implement multimedia based education. In response to such policy, currently Bandem is the chancellor of a leading information and computer technology university in Bali.