VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The government prioritizes human resource development in facing the current global competition.

The aim is to develop superior human resources (SDM Unggul) who are not only globally competitive but also have a spirit of nationalism as their identity by sticking to local wisdom.

"I hope that all of you can realize the spirit of nationalism so that even if we have a competitive advantage globally, we should stick to local ideology and wisdom," Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said virtually on Introduction to Campus Life for New Students (PKKMB) at Surabaya State University on Monday.

The Vice President said, the third President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. Dr. B.J. Habibie is a role model that should be looked up to by Indonesian youth.

"He (B.J. Habibie) is clear evidence that his intelligence or ability can cross the globe and compete in this global era, but the heart or identity remains attached to the identity and morals of the archipelago," he added.

The Vice President added that nationalism is also important to understand considering that the Indonesia is a pluralistic nation of various ethnicities, religions, and races.

"First, higher education institutions must have creative methods in inserting teaching materials to strengthen awareness and understand the state ideology, Pancasila, as the only ideology for all Indonesian people. With the strong Pancasila ideology, we strengthen our nation's identity, ”said the Vice President.

He said efforts to hone and strengthen student character were needed to be able to put the interests of society first, regardless of ethnicity, religion, and class.

"Character education needs to be carried out with an innovative and creative method to keep it interesting and efficient. Third, it is important to improve education on technical skills or hard skills accompanied by communication skills or soft skills, "said the Vice President.

Ma'ruf advised students to be able to optimize the opportunities they have in obtaining higher education.

"Based on data from the National Labor Force Survey (SAKERNAS-BPS) in February 2020, out of 137.91 million people aged 15 years and over who work, only around 14.2 million or only 10.3% have the opportunity to enjoy higher education. This opportunity is a gift from God, and your form of gratitude for this gift is to study and work hard so that you can complete your education on time with satisfying results," he said.

The Vice President also reminded that students as the successor of the nation and elite groups in the structure of Indonesian society are expected to become consistent agents of change to voice the values ​​of nationalism, love for the country, patriotism, and tolerance.

"Students are also expected to become intellectuals who not only understand science but also uphold morality and respect social life. The world will not be better because there are many smart people, but because of morality and good social cohesion,” he said. (RRI)