R. Alpha Amirrachman, M.Phil., Ph.D.
About Lecturer
Dr. R. Alpha Amirrachman, M.Phil., Ph.D., is an educator and scholar specializing in education policy and social sciences. With over two decades of expertise in fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments, he has made significant contributions to education reform in Indonesia and beyond. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from the University of Amsterdam (2012), where his dissertation examined peace education in the Moluccas, balancing global models with local interests. He holds an M.Phil. in Education from the University of Sydney (2004), focusing on education decentralization, and pursued post-doctoral fellowships at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore and the Royal Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) in the Netherlands.
Key career milestones include directing the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Open Learning Center (SEAMEO SEAMOLEC) from 2019 to 2021, serving as Special Advisor to Indonesia’s Minister of Education and Culture (2016-2018), and contributing to international education dialogues, such as curriculum design for peace and human rights at Utrecht University and research on conflict resolution.
His publications, including “Education Decentralization in Indonesia” (2021), “Sketches of Asia’s Society: People, Culture, Education and Technology” (2021), and the recent “Local Wisdom-Based Multicultural Education” (2025) in Intellectual Discourse, along with articles in journals like South East Asia Research, highlight his influence on decentralized and multicultural education systems.
Research interests: Education decentralization, peace and multicultural education, community participation in policy, technology in Southeast Asian education, educational policy, educational equity, comparative education.
Universiteit van Amsterdam (2008-2012)
Master of Philosophy at Faculty of Education and Social Work, School of Policy and Practice
University of Sydney (2002-2004)
Bachelor of Engglish Education
Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka (1995-1999)
2005 – present
Lecturer at Faculty of Education, Universitas Islam International Indonesia
2022 – present
Second Post-Doctoral about researching and writing about decentralization of education in the provinces of West Kalimantan and Banten, Indonesia
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore (2013-2014)
First Post-Doctoral about roducing an audio visual documentary about education in selected areas of Jakarta, Delanggu, Payakumbuh, Kawal, Sintang, Bittuang, Ternate, and Surabaya, Indonesia
Royal Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV), Leiden (2012)
Kontributor features dan op-ed at Jakarta Post
2004 – present
Researcher at International Centre for Islam and Pluralism
(ICIP), pimpinan Syafii Anwar, PhD dan Syafiq Hasyim, PhD
2005 – 2007
Executive Director at Centre for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilisations (CDCC), pimpinan Prof. Din Syamsuddin.
2014-2016
Head of Library Center at Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa (Untirta)
2015-2016
Staf Khusus Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia Prof. Dr. H. Muhadjir Effendy, M.A.P.,
Bidang Monitoring Implementasi Kebijakan at Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, Republik Indonesia
2016-2018
Director at Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Open Learning Center (SEAMEO SEAMOLEC)
Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset dan Teknologi, Republik Indonesia
2019-2021
Books
Amirrachman, Alpha (2021). Sketches of Asia’s society: People, culture, education and technology. SM, The Jakarta Post and Southeast Asian Ministers Education Organizations Regional Open Learning Centre.
Amirrachman, Alpha (2021). Education decentralization in Indonesia: Community participation, market, politics and local identity. SM and Southeast Asian Ministers Education Organizations Regional Open Learning Centre.
Amirrachman, Alpha (2018). Desentralisasi pendidikan di Indonesia. Untirta Press.
Amirrachman, A., Nubowo, A., Khoirudin, A., (eds) (2016). Islam Berkemajuan untuk peradaband dunia: Refleksi dan agenda Muhammadiyah ke depan. Jakarta: Mizan & Center for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilization.
Amirrachman, A. et.al. (2015). Muhammadiyah “Ahmad Dahlan” menemukan kembali otentisitas gerakan Muhammadiyah. Jakarta: STIE Ahmad Dahlan.
Amirrachman, A. et.al. (2007). Revitalization of local wisdom: Conflict resolution study in West Kalimantan, The Moluccas and Poso. International Centre for Islam and Pluralism & European Union.
Book Chapters
Amirrachman, A. (2022). Tertib administrasi. In Sutanto (ed), Sang birokrat pendidikan: Pemikiran dan keteladanan Prof. Dr. Baedhowi, M.Si. (pp. 130-131). Jakarta: Rezpy Geizla Indonesia.
Amirrachman, A. (2022). Jihad intelektual Muhammadiyah. In Ridho Al-Hamdi dan Abd Rohim Ghazali (Eds.), Islam berkemajuan dan kebijakan publik: Catatan kritis aktivis Muhammadiyah (pp. 53-59). Jakarta: Media Baca Anasti
Amirrachman, A. (2020). Bahtiar Effendy dan pesan pamungkas beliau. In Ma’mun Murod Al-Barbasy & David Krisna Alka (eds), Mengenang Sang Guru Politik Prof. Dr. Bahtiar Effendy, MA (pp. 221-226). Jakarta: UM Jakarta Press.
Amirrachman, A. (2020). Buya Ahmad Syafii Maarif 85 tahun: Landasan kebaikan untuk generasi mendatang. In David Krisna Alka & Asmul Khairi (eds), Mencari negarawan: 84 tahun Ahmad Syafii Maarif (pp. 61-64), Jakarta: JIBPost Pustakapedia Indonesia.
Amirrachman, A. (2017). Higher education institutions in Indonesia: Access, innovation and research. In V. V. Krishna (ed), Universities in the national innovation systems: Experiences form the Asia-Pacific (pp. 335-372). New York: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Universities-in-the-National-Innovation-Systems-Experiences-from-the-Asia-Pacific/Krishna/p/book/9780367277857
Latief, H. and Amirrachman, A. and Hilman Latief (2016). Islamic philanthropy and the rights to education: Modalities of education provision for underprivileged groups in post-New Order Indonesia. In Khun Eng Kuah, Jason Eng Thye Tan (eds.), Educating marginalized communities in East and Southeast Asia: State, civil society and NGO partnerships (pp. 37- 52). London and New York: Routledge, https://www.routledge.com/Educating-Marginalized-Communities-in-East-and-Southeast-Asia-State-civil/Kuah-Tan/p/book/9781138365698
Amirrachman, A. (2015). Din Syamsuddin’s legacy: A more pluralist Muhammadiyah. In Abdul Mu’ti, et.al. (eds), Islamic moderation in Indonesia: Muhammadiyah’s experience (pp. 79-84).Yogyakarta: PP Muhammadiyah.
Amirrachman, A. (2015). Moeslim Abdurrahman: Fighting against religious conservatism. In Abdul Mu’ti, et.al. (eds), Islamic moderation in Indonesia: Muhammadiyah’s experience (pp. 105-110). Yogyakarta: PP Muhammadiyah.
Amirrachman, A. (2015). Din Syamsuddin: A man to watch. In Abdul Mu’ti, et.al. (eds), Islamic moderation in Indonesia: Muhammadiyah’s experience (pp. 133-138). Yogyakarta: PP Muhammadiyah.
Amirrachman, A., Syafi’i, S, Welch, A. (2009). Decentralising Indonesian education: The promise and the price. In Zaida & Gamage (eds), Decentralisation, school-based managementand quality. New York: Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-90-481-2703-0_8
Journal Articles
Mu’ti, A., and Amirrachman, A. (2025). Local Wisdom-Based Multicultural Education: Muhammadiyah Experience. Intellectual Discourse, 33(Special Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.31436/id.v33iSpecial Issue 1.2241 https://journals.iium.edu.my/intdiscourse/index.php/id/article/view/2241
Amirrachman, A. (2015). Creating multicultural citizens: A portrayal of contemporary Indonesian education, by Raihani (book review). Bijdragen tot de Taal, Land – en Volkenkunde Volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia. 171(369-408). https://brill.com/view/journals/bki/171/2-3/article-p392_17.xml
Amirrachman, R. A. (2014). Education in the Conflict-Affected Moluccas: Local Tradition, Identity Politics and School Principal Leadership. South East Asia Research, 22(4), 561–578. https://doi.org/10.5367/sear.2014.0235
Amirrachman, A. (2014). Peace education in the Moluccas, Indonesia: Impact on perception of citizenship and identity. Guest edited by LynParker and Chang-Yau Hoon. Special issue of South East Asia Research on Education for a tolerant and multicultural Indonesia. 22(4) (561-578). https://www.jstor.org/stable/43818553
Amirrachman, A. (2014). Education in Indonesia, edited by Daniel Suryadarma and Gavin W. Jones (book review). Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia. 170(133–173). https://brill.com/view/journals/bki/170/1/article-p159_15.xml
Amirrachman, A. (2013). Technological State in Indonesia, by Sulfikar Amir (book review). Contemporary Southeast Asia. 35(1) (132-134) https://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg/publication/1850#contents
Amirrachman, A., Syafi’I, S, Welch, A. (2008). Decentralisation in Indonesian Education: The Promise and the Price. World Studies in Education. 9(1) (31–53). https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/jnp/wse/2008/00000009/00000001/art00003
Amirrachman, A. (2004). Community participation and empowerment in primary education (book review). Asian Studies Review. 48 (423-452). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10357820500034813