Handa Abidin

Rector of President University

Jakarta Metropolitan Area

About

Handa S. Abidin, S.H., LL.M., Ph.D., is the Rector of President University in Indonesia. President University is the most international university in Indonesia based on the number of full-time, degree-seeking international students. Handa plans to further increase the number of international students to increase Indonesia’s reputation on the global stage. As an academic, he has research interests in international law and climate change law. He teaches courses, inter alia, “International Climate Change Law.” His peer-reviewed monograph, The Protection of Indigenous Peoples and Reduction of Forest Carbon Emissions: The REDD-Plus Regime and International Law, is held by several of the world’s top law schools, including Harvard Law School (Harvard Law School Library), Yale Law School (Lillian Goldman Law Library), and Stanford Law School (Robert Crown Law Library). Handa has been appointed by Asian Legal Business (Thomson Reuters) as a judge for the prestigious ALB SE Asia Law Awards (2018-present) and the ALB Indonesia Law Awards (2015, 2017-present). He has been a member of the Ethics Committee of the Indonesia Fintech Lending Association since 2021 and previously served on the Ethics Board at President University for a few years (2017-2024). Besides being active on LinkedIn, Handa is also active on TikTok (@handa.satya) and Instagram (@handaabidin). As of 18 May 2026, he has more than 550k TikTok followers, making him the university rector with the largest TikTok following in Indonesia, and maybe in the world. He has also built a strong TikTok community by going live almost every day since the end of December 2024. Handa holds three law degrees from three different countries: Indonesia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. He earned his Sarjana Hukum (S.H.) degree from Universitas Indonesia, his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from The George Washington University Law School, and his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh Law School.

Experience

  • President University (9 yrs 9 mos)
    • Rector
      Jan 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 7 mos

    • Vice Rector for Academics
      Nov 2016 - Jan 2024 · 7 yrs 3 mos

      Vice Rector for Academics (2022 - 2024) Vice Rector for Academics and Student Affairs (2020 - 2022). Vice Rector for Academics (2020). Vice Rector for Student Affairs (November 2018 - 2020). Vice Rector for Communication and Partnerships (April 2017 - present). Formerly: Vice Rector for Partnerships (November 2016 - April 2017). Courses Taught (As a Lecturer): Undergraduate: - Web3: Law and Policy in Indonesia, the World, and the Metaverse (2022-present) - Biological Diversity and International Law (2022-present) - Postgraduate Degrees in Law and Other Subjects (2022-present) - Environmental Law (2021). - International Climate Change Law (2020-present). - International Law of the Sea (2020). - The Future of Law (2019-2020). - International Law (2017-2019, 2021-present). - Legal Industry and Career Preparation (Undergraduate) (2018-2019). - Theories of Legislation and Regulatory Drafting (2018). - Introduction to Indonesian Law (2018). ---- Chairperson of President Web3 (2021-until now). Chairperson of Climate Tech Center (2021-until now).

  • Partner at AMAR Law Firm & Public Interest Law Office
    Jan 2021 - Present · 5 yrs 7 mos

    Of Counsel: January 2020 - December 2020.

  • Member of the Ethics Committee at (AFPI) Asosiasi FinTech Pendanaan Bersama Indonesia
    Jan 2021 - Present · 5 yrs 7 mos

  • Commissioner at PT Totalmegah Medianusa
    Nov 2020 - Present · 5 yrs 9 mos

    Properti Indonesia Magazine (Est. 1994)

  • Partner at ABRAZQA Law Office
    Jan 2015 - Present · 11 yrs 7 mos

    ABRAZQA Law Office is based in Jakarta (18 Office Tower, Simatupang). ABRAZQA offers various legal services to domestic and foreign clients.