The ceremony took place during an Extraordinary Open Session of the IFTK Ledalero Senate on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the St. Thomas Aquinas Auditorium, Campus I Ledalero, Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

The installation was conferred by the Head of the Higher Education Service Institution (LLDIKTI) Region XV, Prof. Dr. Adrianus Amheka, ST., M.Eng., and presided over by the Chair of the IFTK Senate, Dr. Yosef Keladu Koten, SVD. This moment was not merely an academic formality but a reaffirmation of Ledalero’s role as a vibrant center of philosophical reflection in Eastern Indonesia.

The event was attended by leaders from the Church, government, and academia, including the Archbishop of Ende, Mgr. Dr. Paulus Budi Kleden, SVD; the Bishop of Larantuka, Mgr. Yohanes Hans Monteiro; regional leaders from across Flores; SVD priests; university leaders; and members of Otto’s extended family from East Manggarai. Their presence reflected a broad network of dialogue among the Church, the state, and the intellectual community.

Democracy as a Reflective and Dialogical Process
In his inaugural lecture titled “The Legitimacy of Power, the Epistemology of Democracy, and Political Judgment,” Otto emphasized that democracy cannot be reduced to mere formal procedures. Rather, he described it as a reflective process continually shaped within the relationship between citizens, the public sphere, and power.

Drawing on the thought of Max Weber regarding the legitimacy of authority, he further developed the idea of politische Urteilskraft—the political judgment of citizens. A healthy democracy, he argued, depends on citizens’ ability to think critically, openly, and responsibly.

“Knowledge, like democracy, is never born in isolation. It grows in a shared world, where people exchange experiences and learn to see from the perspectives of others,” he stated.

He went on to affirm that philosophical reflection is always rooted in the concrete experience of living together in diversity. Philosophy, therefore, must not remain at an abstract level but must engage the realities of social life.

His lecture also bore witness to his own intellectual journey—a “pilgrimage of dialogue” shaped by intercultural encounters, academic research, and social advocacy. For him, academic achievement is not an individual accomplishment but the fruit of a collective process built through continuous dialogue.

Within this framework, he underscored the calling of higher education as a practice of faith in dialogue with the world.

“IFTK Ledalero must continue to be a living community in search of truth, not merely an educational institution,” he affirmed.

Academic Responsibility Amid Limitations
Prof. Adrianus Amheka stressed that the installation of a professor represents the highest form of academic accountability, not merely a symbolic honor.

A professor, he noted, carries a strategic responsibility as a driver of innovation, a developer of knowledge, and a guide for social life.

In the context of East Nusa Tenggara, he highlighted the serious challenges facing higher education, particularly the low number of professors.

“Out of approximately 3,000 active lecturers in NTT, less than one percent are professors. Ideally, it should reach at least ten percent,” he explained.

For this reason, Otto’s appointment as Professor of Political Philosophy is particularly significant, given the rarity of this field, even at the global level.

Democracy and the Ethical Foundations of Public Life
The Governor of East Nusa Tenggara, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, emphasized that Indonesia’s democracy—within its plural society—remains a work in progress.

He pointed to ongoing challenges such as social inequality, political polarization, and identity manipulation. In this context, philosophical reflection becomes crucial as an ethical compass.

“Democracy is not merely a procedural mechanism but an ethical project rooted in public rationality,” he stated.

He also expressed openness to constructive criticism from academics as part of building a more just and humane system of governance.

Education as the Mission of the Verbum
Representing the St. Paul Ende Educational Foundation, Fr. Lukas Jua, SVD, situated the installation within the broader mission of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). The title of professor, he noted, is a recognition by the state of a scholar’s full commitment to the threefold mission of higher education: teaching, research, and community service.

He highlighted Otto’s balanced contribution in all three areas, including his advocacy for victims of human trafficking and for women and children affected by violence.

In the light of SVD spirituality, education is rooted in the values of the Verbum: veritas (truth), excellentia (excellence), rationalitas (rationality), bonitas (goodness), universalitas (universality), and misericordia (compassion). These values form the foundation of a dignified democratic life.

“Without truth, justice, openness, and compassion, democracy loses its direction,” he said.

Intellectual Journey and Social Commitment
Born in East Manggarai on May 20, 1970, Otto pursued his philosophical studies at STFK Ledalero, continued theological studies in Austria, and earned his doctorate in philosophy from the Hochschule für Philosophie München, Germany, in 2008 with a dissertation on politics and violence.

As an academic, writer, and SVD priest, he continues to integrate philosophical reflection with social engagement, particularly in the areas of human rights, gender issues, and the protection of vulnerable groups through Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) SVD Ende.

Ultimately, this installation is not only a recognition of a personal academic journey but also a reaffirmation that philosophy remains deeply relevant—indeed urgent—in fostering a more humane, dialogical, and civilized democracy.