He currently serving as Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs.

He also served as the Minister / Secretary of State of Indonesia in the Onward Indonesia Cabinet, the cabinet appointed by President Joko Widodo for his second term in office 2019–2024.

[1] He resigned as Rektor on being appointed State Secretary in the first Joko Widodo administration in 2014.

Born at Bojonegoro in East Java, Pratikno graduated from Gadjah Mada University in 1985 where he studied public administration.

He then received a Master's degree in Development Administration from Birmingham University and Doctoral degree from the Department of Asian Studies, Flinders University, in Adelaide, South Australia.