Looking Back at Prof. Ismail Hasani: From Human Rights Activist to UIN Jakarta Professor
Harun Nasution Auditorium, UIN News Online – The Open Senate Session of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta officially inaugurated thirteen full professors, including Prof. Dr. Ismail Hasani, S.H., M.H., as Professor of Constitutional Law. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. Dr. KH. Nasaruddin Umar, M.A., Rector of UIN Jakarta, Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar, M.A., Ph.D., alongside the Senate leadership and the academic community at Harun Nasution Auditorium on Wednesday (30/09/2026).
Prof. Ismail Hasani's academic journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Comparative Schools of Thought and Law at UIN Jakarta, completed in 2000, and a Bachelor's degree in Constitutional Law at Muhammadiyah University of Jakarta (UMJ) in 2012. He subsequently earned his Master's degree in Legal Studies at UMJ in 2003, culminating in a Doctorate in Law specializing in Constitutional Law from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in 2019.
This extensive track record across academia, research, and advocacy served as the cornerstone for his professorial address. Titled “Constitutional Leadership in Nation Building and Governance,” his oration emphasized that a constitution is not merely a collection of written rules, but a living framework requiring constitutional leadership to safeguard and direct it.
In his speech, he underscored the necessity of a dialectic between political judgment, constitutional court judgment, and academic judgment to ensure the state operates steadfastly within legal corridors.
“A constitution never operates on its own. It requires actors, institutions, and practices to translate its norms into the life of the nation and state. Constitutional leadership is not born from a single institution; rather, it arises from the nexus of political power, judicial authority, academic reasoning, and public participation to ensure governance remains bound by the constitution,” he expressed.
In addition to actively teaching as a faculty member at the Faculty of Sharia and Law (FSH) UIN Jakarta since 2003, Prof. Ismail is widely recognized as a researcher and human rights activist with extensive civil society experience. He currently serves as Chairman of the Executive Board of the SETARA Institute, having previously held the role of Executive Director. In public policy and civic engagement, Prof. Ismail serves as Special Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, General Chairman of the Association of Business and Human Rights Auditors (AABIHAM), Vice Secretary of the Institute for Studies and Strategic Partnerships (LKKS) PP Muhammadiyah, and formerly served on the Assistance Team for the Fact-Finding Team (TPF) into the death of Munir.
As a scholar and prolific academic, Prof. Ismail has authored and published numerous scholarly works, including books and reputable journal articles. His published books include “Constitutional Review of Regional Regulations: Responses to Intolerant-Discriminatory Regional Regulations and New Modeling for Legislative Review Mechanisms” (Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia, 2020) and “The Dynamics of Protecting Citizens' Constitutional Rights: The Constitutional Court as a New Human Rights Mechanism” (Pustaka Masyarakat Setara, 2013).
His published journal articles include: Undelivered Constitutional Justice? Study on How the Decisions of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia Are Executed (Civic Journal, 2022), Human Rights and Constitutionality Issues of Blasphemy Law in Indonesia (Jurnal Konstitusi, 2022), and Social Inclusion and Constitutional Justice: Reassessing Equality and Affirmative Protection in Indonesia (Yustisia Jurnal Hukum, 2025).
Watch the full Academic Oration from the Open Senate Session for the Professorial Inauguration at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta via the following link: