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Biography
Prof. Burhanuddin Muhtadi, S.Th.I., M.A., Ph.D. is an Indonesian political scientist whose work connects academic research, teaching, and the interpretation of public opinion. Born in Rembang, Central Java, on 15 December 1977, he became interested in writing while still at primary school. After secondary education in Rembang and Surakarta, he moved to Jakarta in 1996 to study at IAIN Syarif Hidayatullah, now UIN.
His first media article, “Keterbukaan Pasca Insiden 27 Juli”, was published by Harian Terbit. Between 1996 and 2004, hundreds of his Indonesian- and English-language articles appeared in local and national media. That writing practice developed into research on elections, voting behaviour, vote buying, democracy, public opinion, political Islam, polarisation, and misinformation.
His doctoral research at the Australian National University examined how partisan and personal networks shape vote buying. The dissertation became Vote Buying in Indonesia: The Mechanics of Electoral Bribery, later published in Indonesian as Kuasa Uang: Politik Uang dalam Pemilu Pasca-Orde Baru.
Current roles
Current roles
Full Professor of Political Science
FISIP UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
The ministerial appointment was dated 25 August 2023.Visiting Senior Research Fellow
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Indonesia Studies Programme
Founder and Executive Director
Indikator Politik Indonesia
Political Science lecturer
FISIP UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
Research areas
Research areas
- Indonesian elections
- Voting behavior
- Vote buying & clientelism
- Democracy & democratic decline
- Public opinion
- Political Islam
- Polarization
- Misinformation
Education
Education
- 2018
Ph.D. in Political Science
Australian National University
Dissertation: “Buying Votes in Indonesia: Partisans, Personal Networks and Winning Margins.” - 2009
M.A. in Asian Studies, specialising in Political Science
Australian National University
Thesis: “Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: A Social Movement Theory Approach of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and Its Islamist Transnational Framing.” - 2002
B.A. in Theology, Quranic Exegesis
UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
Undergraduate thesis: “Farid Esack: Raison D’etre Hermeneutika Pembebasan Al-Qur’an.” - 1996
Special Programme State Islamic Senior High School
Surakarta
- 1993
MTs Muallimin/at NU
Rembang
- 1990
SDN Kutoharjo 1
Rembang
Career & organisations
Career & organisations
This record retains the early experience documented by Wikipedia and places it alongside current appointments from the March 2026 CV and official institutional sources.
- 2023
Full Professor of Political Science
FISIP UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
The ministerial appointment was dated 25 August 2023. - 2021—present
Visiting Senior Research Fellow
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Indonesia Studies Programme
- 2013—present
Founder and Executive Director
Indikator Politik Indonesia
- 2010—present
Political Science lecturer
FISIP UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
- Earlier role
Postgraduate lecturer at Universitas Paramadina, senior researcher at LSI, and CENSIS researcher
These roles are recorded in the Wikipedia biographical profile. - 2004—2005
Member, National Consortium of People’s Voter Education Network (JPPR)
- 2004
Voter education and public-opinion research programmes
Managed programmes involving UNDP, The Asia Foundation, JIL, and JICA, and coordinated research on Muslim perceptions of United States foreign policy. - 2003—2006
LSI regional coordinator and researcher; INCIS researcher
- 2003—2004
Editor-in-Chief, Bulletin of Islam and Good Governance
UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
- From 2001
Editor at Jaringan Islam Liberal
- 2000—2002
Alliance of Indonesian Formal Student Organisations
- 2000—2001
Student Executive President, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
- 1999—2000
Head of Research and Intellectual Development, UIN Jakarta Student Executive
- 1998—1999
Forum Mahasiswa Ciputat (FORMACI)
- 1996—2002
Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam activist
- 1994—1995
Majelis Pengembangan Tilawatil Qur’an
Surakarta
Honours & fellowships
Honours & fellowships
- 2020
Honourable Mention, ASAA Early Career Book Prize
For Vote Buying in Indonesia: The Mechanics of Electoral Bribery. A March 2026 CV update not yet included on Wikipedia. - 2019
Indonesian Platinum and Best Corporate Award
The Most Trusted Survey Institution Company of the Year category. - 2018
Young Southeast Asia Fellow Award
Awarded by the Southeast Asia Research Group (SEAREG). - 2016
The 11th Singapore Graduate Forum on Southeast Asian Studies
Asian Research Scholars programme, National University of Singapore. - 2016
Indonesia–Singapore Young Leaders Award
S Rajaratnam Endowment, RSIS, and the RSIS Indonesia Programme. - 2013
Australia Awards Scholarship
Scholarship for doctoral study at the Australian National University. - 2010
Charta Politika Award
Best Political Analyst. - 2009
Best Presidential Election Media Communicator
Observer category, awarded by Strategy Public Relations. - 2008
Australian Development Scholarship
Scholarship for master’s study at the Australian National University. - 2008
The Asia Foundation Young Leaders Fellowship Grant
Postgraduate study support for a young intellectual.
Selected academic forums
Selected academic forums
Recent invited talks that help show the international reach of his academic work.
- 2025
Between Faith and Freedom: Muslims’ Attitudes and the Decline of Democracy in Indonesia
Universität Münster, Germany
- 2024
The State of Indonesian Democracy
Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University, United States
- 2021
Indonesia Forum 2021: National Politics and the Future of Decentralization
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore