Dr. Chairil Abdini graduated as civil engineer at Bandung Institute of Technology. He started his career as an engineer at The Directorate General of Water Resources Ministry of Public Works of the Republic of Indonesia. He was responsible for planning and design of water resources project in Indonesia.

He obtained his PhD degree in 1994 at University of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA in the field of civil engineering. He was also attended master program at School of Public and International Affairs at the same university. After graduated from University of Pittsburgh, he has held several positions in the government starting from head of Bureau of energy and infrastructure in the Vice President Secretariat and finally retired as Deputy Minister of State Secretariat responsible for policy analysis both on the domestic and international affairs.

He has been appointed as commissioners of several state own enterprises and public services agencies. He is also a lecturer at the School of Environmental Science University of Indonesia teaching public policy and decision analysis as well as a co-promoter for PhD candidates. Currently, he is a special staff of Minister of National Development Planning. And finally, he is also held a position as Secretary General of Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI) responsible for organizing all of the AIPI programs and activities particularly in preparing policy brief and policy recommendation to the government and to the public in the field of science and technology affairs. He also actively writes op-ed in several media on the issue of science, technology and innovation as well as development policy.