<![CDATA[This article examines the role of the Organisasi Penjelidikan dalam Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam (OPIPA), which developed from the Dutch Organisatie voor Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (ONO), in the decolonization of scientific governance in Indonesia between 1948 and 1956. Histories of Indonesian science have generally regarded the Indonesian Council of Sciences (Majelis Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia, MIPI) as a major milestone in the consolidation of national science, while OPIPA’s role in this transformation has received less attention. Using a historical approach, this study draws on State Secretariat archives and ONO/OPIPA records, including government decisions, organizational records, conference resolutions, correspondence, publications, and documents on international scientific relations. The findings show that OPIPA retained several coordinating practices from the colonial period while adapting them to the needs of the Indonesian state. OPIPA coordinated research, collected information on scientific personnel, supported technical training, and maintained Indonesia’s connections with international scientific network. Yet the Indonesianization of institutional leadership advanced more rapidly than the development of national scientific capacity. OPIPA remained constrained by limited authority, shortages of expertise, financial limitations, and its disciplinary scope. These experiences contributed to debates over a broader framework for scientific governance and the establishment of MIPI in 1956. The article argues that Indonesian scientific institutions changed gradually after independence. Existing networks and practices were retained where they remained useful, but were increasingly placed under Indonesian authority.]]>
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