By highlighting the importance of social capital, he supports development strategies that prioritize local capacity and long-term resilience.
PELAKITA.ID – Prof. Dr. Ir. Darmawan Salman, M.S. is one of the most respected academic figures at Universitas Hasanuddin (Unhas). A scholar of rural sociology, agricultural transformation, and social capital, he has shaped the university’s intellectual landscape for decades.
His contribution is not only seen in research and publications but also in leadership roles that influence academic programs and community engagement.
A Central Academic Figure at the Graduate Level
Prof. Darmawan serves as a senior professor in the Doctoral Program in Agriculture, where he supervises doctoral candidates and guides research on agrarian change, community institutions, and rural livelihoods.
His academic leadership ensures that the program maintains its relevance to contemporary challenges in sustainable development, food systems, and rural transformation.
Recently, he has also been entrusted with an important institutional role as Head of the Doctoral Development Studies Class at Unhas. In this position, he helps shape the academic direction of a multidisciplinary program that brings together scholars from sociology, anthropology, public policy, environmental studies, and agricultural development.
His leadership ensures that the Development Studies doctoral curriculum remains grounded in both theoretical rigor and practical relevance—especially in addressing complex issues such as inequality, climate adaptation, local governance, and rural-urban dynamics.
This role expands his influence beyond agriculture, positioning him as a strategic thinker for Unhas in broader discussions about Indonesia’s development pathways.
Leadership in Research and Academic Institutions
Alongside his teaching responsibilities, Prof. Darmawan is the driving force behind the Social Capital Research Group (SocialCap-RG). Under his leadership, the group conducts research on trust, networks, collective action, and social resilience—key elements that determine the success of rural development initiatives.
The research group has become one of Unhas’s most active academic platforms, fostering collaboration among senior academics, young researchers, and community practitioners.
He also leads one of Unhas’s major academic journals as Editor-in-Chief, mentoring the next generation of scholars while ensuring that the journal maintains high scholarly standards.
Through this role, he elevates the visibility and credibility of research in socio-economic agriculture produced at Unhas.
Scholarly Contributions and Research Themes
Prof. Darmawan’s academic work spans a range of themes deeply rooted in Indonesia’s rural realities. His main areas of expertise include:
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Rural sociology and community institutions, focusing on how norms, trust, and social networks shape livelihoods.
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Agrarian and institutional change, examining the transition from collective agrarian traditions to market-driven agricultural systems.
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Oil palm smallholder transformation, studying how asset distribution, strategies, and social capital influence farmer welfare.
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Social resilience and crisis response, including how farming communities adapt to climate anomalies, economic shifts, and public health disruptions.
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Extension systems and social capital, analyzing how relationships and trust influence the effectiveness of agricultural extension programs.
Across these topics, his central message remains clear: successful rural development depends not only on technology and infrastructure but also on strengthening institutions, fostering trust, and empowering local communities.
Institutional and Community Impact
Prof. Darmawan’s legacy at Unhas is visible in several important dimensions:
1. Advancing Graduate Education
Through his leadership in multiple doctoral programs—Agriculture and Development Studies—he has elevated academic standards, improved curriculum relevance, and strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration. Many of his students now serve as researchers, lecturers, policymakers, and practitioners across Indonesia.
2. Building Research Ecosystems
His leadership in SocialCap-RG has created an environment where research becomes a collaborative, community-oriented process. The group engages with local governments, NGOs, and community leaders, ensuring that research findings translate into actionable insights.
3. Strengthening Publishing Culture
As editor-in-chief of a scholarly journal, he guides young academics in producing high-quality publications, helping Unhas build a stronger academic identity both nationally and internationally.
4. Influencing Policy and Development Practice
Prof. Darmawan’s insights have shaped discussions on land management, local institutions, and rural welfare.
His perspective is frequently sought by government agencies and development organizations working on rural transformation and inclusive growth.
5. Empowering Rural Communities
His research model emphasizes participatory engagement, ensuring that communities are not merely studied but empowered.
By highlighting the importance of social capital, he supports development strategies that prioritize local capacity and long-term resilience.
His research model emphasizes participatory engagement, ensuring that communities are not merely studied but empowered. By highlighting the importance of social capital, he supports development strategies that prioritize local capacity and long-term resilience.
More importantly, Prof. Darmawan consistently demonstrates that the most sustainable solutions emerge when communities are treated as co-creators of knowledge, not passive beneficiaries. He encourages farmers, local leaders, and rural institutions to articulate their own needs, map their own resources, and design their own pathways of change.
This approach transforms research into a collaborative process—one that strengthens community agency, builds mutual trust, and nurtures leadership from within.
His commitment to bottom-up development has helped many rural groups gain confidence in navigating market pressures, environmental threats, and policy shifts. As a result, his work does not simply produce academic insights; it generates practical, community-led innovations that continue to evolve long after the research projects conclude.
A Visionary for the Future of Unhas and Eastern Indonesia
The addition of his recent role in Development Studies reflects Unhas’s trust in his ability to guide complex, interdisciplinary educational programs.
His leadership helps Unhas address critical issues such as climate vulnerability, agrarian transitions, coastal community challenges, and sustainable local development—issues central to Indonesia’s future.
Prof. Darmawan’s work embodies the values of Unhas: scientific excellence, social relevance, and a commitment to serving the region. His career stands as an example of how academic knowledge can drive meaningful change, especially for communities whose lives depend on land, natural resources, and social cohesion.
He has also been involved in extensive mentoring and facilitation for local governments in drafting long-term development plans (RPJPD) and medium-term development plans (RPJMD). He has likewise participated in international agency programs, such as serving as an advisor for JICA.
In addition, he has been actively involved in the work of social transformation organizations such as The COMMIT Foundation and the Sulawesi Community Foundation—two leading NGOs in Indonesia known for their pioneering contributions to community empowerment and sustainable social change.
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Dear Pelakita readers, Prof. Dr. Ir. Darmawan Salman, M.S. is not only a scholar but a builder of academic institutions, a mentor for future leaders, and a champion of rural resilience.
His contributions—through research, program leadership, community engagement, and academic publishing—form a legacy that will guide Unhas for decades to come.
With his expanded role as Head of the Doctoral Development Studies Class, his influence now spans broader fields of knowledge, strengthening Unhas’s position as a leading center for development research and education in Indonesia.
Pelakita Editorial Team