» AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies
This study aims to analyse the structural factors underlying the economic vulnerability and wage inequality experienced by lecturers at private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in Indonesia, examining the relationship between financial governance, legal protection and ethical responsibility. It employs normative legal research using statutory, conceptual and philosophical approaches. Primary, secondary and tertiary legal materials were collected through a literature review and analysed qualitatively using descriptive-analytical and prescriptive methods. The findings indicate that the academic precariat is caused not merely by low wages, but also by limited transparency in remuneration policies, insecure employment relationships and the gap between legal norms and their implementation. From the perspective of Sharia ethics, the principles of al-‘adl (justice), kafalah (guarantee and responsibility) and maqasid al-shari’ah (the objectives of Islamic law) provide a normative foundation for evaluating remuneration fairness, institutional accountability and lecturers’ welfare. The novelty of this study lies in developing an integrated analytical framework that connects Islamic Corporate Finance, positive law and Sharia ethics to understand the academic precariat as a structural issue rather than merely a matter of individual income. The study concludes that addressing lecturers’ economic vulnerability requires stronger remuneration standards, better protection of employment relationships and greater institutional financial accountability, ensuring that the financial sustainability of PHEIs is aligned with the fulfilment of lecturers’ economic rights and respect for their professional dignity.