Hetifah Sjaifudian, Ph.D.

Hetifah Sjaifudian, Ph.D. is a senior public policy and governance expert with more than three decades of experience spanning civil society, policy research, institutional development, regional development, and national legislative processes. As one of the founders of Perkumpulan INISIATIF, she contributed to shaping an organizational tradition that places research, citizen participation, and policy reform at the heart of social change. Her professional journey has evolved from social research and civil society engagement to national policy and legislative leadership, giving her a distinctive ability to connect community perspectives, institutional realities, and national development priorities. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a sustained commitment to inclusive development, democratic governance, stronger public institutions, improved public services, and meaningful citizen participation in policymaking

With professional expertise spanning urban and regional planning, regional development, decentralization, public governance, education, community empowerment, public policy, and institutional reform, Hetifah has contributed to a broad range of national development and policy agendas. She was a researcher and founding figure of AKATIGA, before entering national politics and serving as a Member of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) since 2009, including the 2009–2014, 2015–2019, 2019–2024, and 2024–2029 legislative terms representing East Kalimantan. During her parliamentary career, she has played an active role in legislative, oversight, and budgetary processes concerning education, culture, tourism, creative economy, youth, sports, literacy, and regional development. Her policy leadership is reinforced by an internationally grounded academic perspective, enabling her to translate evidence, citizen aspirations, and regional development challenges into policy dialogue and legislative action at the national level

Hetifah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Institut Teknologi Bandung, a Master in Public Policy from the National University of Singapore, and a Ph.D. from the School of Politics and International Studies at Flinders University of South Australia, completed in 2006. Her doctoral research examined how citizen forums and community groups influence public policymaking in Indonesia during the Reformasi era, providing a strong intellectual foundation for her lifelong engagement with participatory governance, civil society, and democratic institutions. The combination of advanced international academic training, extensive civil society experience, policy research, and more than a decade of national parliamentary leadership positions her as a strategic bridge between knowledge, institutions, and public interest in advancing more accountable, participatory, and inclusive development.

Areas of Expertise: Public Policy & Governance, Regional Development & Decentralization, Democratic Governance, Public Administration, Education Policy, Civil Society & Community Empowerment, Institutional Reform, Legislative Policy & Advocacy, Public Service Reform, Participatory Development, Inclusive Development, Intergovernmental Relations, Evidence-Based Policy, Regional & Urban Planning, Stakeholder Engagement

Email : hetifah@gmail.com