Negotiating Mandated Curriculum Reform in Higher Education: A Sociocultural Case Study of the Independent Curriculum in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesian higher education has entered a period of substantial transformation following the introduction of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program. This national policy gives students greater flexibility to build academic and professional competencies beyond their formal study programs. Adopting a qualitative phenomenological case study design, this research examines the enactment of MBKM at Universitas Al Qolam Malang, drawing on in-depth interviews with eleven purposively selected informants, five lecturers and six students, supplemented by document analysis and thematic interpretation. The study centers on how students and lecturers perceive the program, the obstacles they encounter in practice, and their expectations regarding its long-term continuity. Findings reveal that mandated curriculum reform is not simply transmitted as a direct policy transfer from national regulation to institutional practice; rather, its realization is actively mediated through institutional readiness, interpersonal relationships among academic actors, ongoing cultural negotiations, and localized administrative arrangements. Within this mediated process, participants expressed broadly favorable views of MBKM for enhancing learning flexibility and workforce relevance. Yet, implementation was constrained by inadequate program socialization, cumbersome credit conversion procedures, delayed fund disbursement, and difficulties aligning curricula with industry expectations while sustaining meaningful learning experiences. By foregrounding these sociocultural and institutional dynamics of policy enactment within a single higher education setting a dimension largely overlooked in prior textbook- and policy-centered studies this research offers context-sensitive, evidence-based insights into how mandated reforms are locally negotiated. Sustained evaluation and institutional adjustment remain essential to optimizing MBKM's contribution to student competency development and the broader quality enhancement of Indonesian higher education.