Bridging Education and Impact: Transforming Indonesia’s Academic Landscape
Contributor: Virda Lalitya Umam
As an effort to evaluate past academic activities and prepare for the upcoming term, the UIII Faculty of Education routinely organizes a full-board meeting with its civitates, most recently held this Thursday (01/23/2025). In this opportunity, Dr. Berry Juliandi, M.Si., Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at IPB University and Acting Director of Learning and Student Affairs at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, was also invited as a guest speaker. His presentation and workshop, titled “Impactful Education: Future Direction of Education Policy in Indonesia,” touches on the challenges, potential, and plans for Indonesia’s higher education from a policymaker’s perspective.
Opening his presentation, Dr. Juliandi began by addressing the challenges that Indonesia’s strategic sectors face. These include, but are not limited to, climate change, global economic decline, technological disruption, and societal polarization. As the fourth most populated country, Indonesia naturally has one of the world’s largest education systems, being the third largest in Asia and fourth globally, with more than 4.000 higher education institutions spanning 5.245 kilometers and over 17.000 islands. It is no wonder that these factors above make equitable access to quality education in Indonesia a critical concern. It also raises other questions in the realm of higher education, such as the employability of graduates, effectiveness and quality of research funds, disconnection from community needs, lack of talent development in science and technology, as well as regulation or policy.
Dr. Juliandi then mentioned Tri Dharma, the three foundations of higher education: education and teaching, research, and community service. He noted that this conventional paradigm no longer accommodates present-day circumstances and that Indonesia’s higher education institutions are undergoing a shift to a fourth-generation paradigm. Universities are expanding the traditional focus on teaching and research to become powerhouses for regional innovation and national impact. This transformative approach not only applies to the teaching and learning process within classrooms but also considers the future contributions of institutions and their alumni, with the goal of bringing forth future socio-economic impacts on a nationwide scale, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Regarding this paradigm shift, Dr. Juliandi emphasized that higher education institutions in this era must concretely contribute to national economic development and not merely produce graduates. He shared priority concerns the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology laid out, including increasing access to impactful, quality education, talent development in science and technology, cultivating a scientific culture, and addressing national socio-economic challenges. He stresses that educational institutions must equip students with 21st-century skills to survive cross-sectoral disruptions, cultivating adaptive ways to think, work, live, and utilize tools.
Dr. Juliandi proceeded to explain the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in the education field, ranging from data security to environmental damage, and the importance of AI literacy to mitigate these risks. Dr. Juliandi states that in this era, it is impossible to detach AI from human activity wholly—he notes how a potential “AI war” will not be one between humans and AI as fiction commonly portrays, but instead between people who make use of AI and those who cannot or do not. He expresses that it is very much possible for educators and students alike to optimally utilize AI while also valuing academic integrity.
In his closing statement, Dr. Juliandi emphasized the importance of character above all else. No matter how advanced the system is or how brilliant educators and students are, it is imperative that character building must always be a core part of Indonesia’s education. As Dr. Juliandi concluded his presentation, an engaging discussion session soon followed, with the Faculty of Education lecturers chiming one after another to share their concerns and inquiries.
This workshop provided the UIII Faculty of Education with an invaluable platform for reflection, dialogue, and strategies to address Indonesia’s higher education challenges. Dr. Berry Juliandi’s insightful presentation shed light on the urgency to transform the traditional educational paradigm, preparing students to face a rapidly evolving world. Through this event, the UIII Faculty of Education’s civitates reaffirmed their aspiration to drive students and alumni to broaden the horizons of education for Indonesia and the world.