Source: Untar Public Relations – VA
Housing price transparency depends not only on materials and labor costs but also on public perception, construction quality, and interrelated social factors.
This idea was one of the main points in the dissertation titled “Estimation Model of Housing Prices per m² in Surabaya,” defended by Kusnan during the Open Doctoral Promotion Session of Untar’s Civil Engineering Doctoral Program on Tuesday (15/7/2025) at the Auditorium, Building M, Untar Campus I. Through this session, Kusnan was officially inaugurated as the 91st Doctor from Untar’s Civil Engineering Doctoral Program.
The session was chaired directly by the Rector of Untar, Prof. Dr. Amad Sudiro, S.H., M.H., M.Kn., M.M., accompanied by Principal Promoter Prof. Dr. Ir. Naniek Widayati Priyomarsono, M.T., and Co-Promoter Ir. Dadang M. Ma’some, MSCE., Ph.D.
Kusnan’s dissertation provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing the selling price of houses per m² in Surabaya. It examines not only conventional factors such as material costs and labor wages, but also socio-technical variables such as construction quality, public perception of minimalist housing, and project completion duration.
Using Structural Equation Modeling – Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and multiple linear regression analysis, this research produced a housing price estimation model per m² that is expected to serve as a reference for urban planning policy formulation, transparency in the property market, and the development of affordable housing.
“This research was born out of my concern over the limited public access to transparent and measurable housing price information. I hope the results of this dissertation can support more equitable and strategic housing policies,” said Dr. Kusnan, who graduated with a GPA of 3.98 and earned the distinction of With High Honors.
Kusnan himself is a retired Colonel of the Indonesian Navy who currently serves as President Director of PT Bakti Yuda Jayatama.
The Main Promoter, Prof. Dr. Ir. Naniek Widayati Priyomarsono, M.T., expressed appreciation for Kusnan’s scholarly contribution.
“I congratulate Dr. Kusnan on successfully defending his dissertation. May the knowledge he has gained continue to be developed and applied, especially in supporting a fair and equitable national housing governance,” he said.
Congratulations were also extended by Rear Admiral (Laksda) TNI Ismu Edy Aryanto, S.H., M.H., Chief of the Principal Military Court of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia, who was present at the event.
“I am proud of Retired Colonel Kusnan, who has shown that service to the nation does not end with retirement, but instead expands through the path of knowledge and education,” he said.
Through this graduation, Untar reaffirms its commitment to producing outstanding doctoral graduates who not only contribute to the academic world but also make a real impact on national development and public policy, particularly in the fields of civil engineering and infrastructure.
(VA/AJ)