Asman Boedisantoso Ranakusuma (born 28 January 1946) is an Indonesian physician and academician who served as the Rector of the University of Indonesia from 1998 to 2002.
[1] During his early months as rector, the student movement which demanded the resignation of Indonesia's longtime president Suharto was in full swing.
Asman threw his support behind the movement by vacationing the students indefinitely[6] and refused the education minister's demands to limit the protests.
[7][8] In May 1998, Asman, along with Tadjudin and other UI academicians, visited President Suharto at his residence to discuss about his resignation and succession.
[9] After Suharto resigned from the presidency, there were proposals from the students to form a collective government which consisted of academicians and other notable figures, including Asman.
The concept was finally realised following a government decree in December 2000, which transformed UI into a "state-owned legal entity" with the rights to manage its own finance.
The decree also established a board of trustees for UI, which was tasked with electing the rector and preparing the university's budget.
The board of trustees held a plenary session on 20 February 2002 and decided to appoint Usman Chatib Warsa [id], Asman's first deputy, as his acting replacement until a new definitive rector was elected.