Prof. Dr. (HC) Drs. A. Halim Iskandar, M.Pd. currently serves as former Minister of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia. He has previously served as the Chairman of the Regional People's Representative Council of Jombang Regency (1999 - 2009) and East Java Province (2014 - 2019). He has also served as the Chairman of the Regional Executive Board of the National Awakening Party in East Java until 2022. He completed his undergraduate studies in philosophy and sociology of education at the State University of Yogyakarta and later received his master’s degree in field education management from Malang State University. In 2023, he received the First Honorary Professor award in the field of sociolinguistics from Surabaya State University.