He is a senior professor in social science at Brawijaya University, one of the most reputable universities in Indonesia and SEA. He is the founder of the faculty of Social and Political Science (FISIP) in the university, where he held the position as the dean for two terms in the early establishment of the faculty.

Apart from his leadership role in the university, to date he has been involved in various development projects, such as Nuffic social science project in Indonesia (in partnership with Nederland), Wonorejo dam construction in East Java province of Indonesia, (in partnership with Japan), city branding of Sumenep regency in East Java province, agricultural development and agricultural institutional change; applied research studies and books to help policymakers and general public solve social issues and problems; and, has become discussant and keynote speaker in various prestigious world research fora in Indonesia and overseas.