VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo speaking at an online event held to mark the 45th anniversary of the UNS on Friday (March 12, 2021). (ANTARA/Aris Wasita)

President Joko Widodo has appealed to the State University of Sebelas Maret (UNS) in Surakarta, Central Java to make changes in order to keep pace with the developments brought on by the ongoing pandemic.

“In a rapidly changing world, speed, creativity, and innovation are key to beating the competition,” he said at an online event held to mark the 45th anniversary of UNS on Friday.

“All sides should not be trapped in common ways and held hostage by routine activities. Hence, new ways must be invented to follow the development of times,” he remarked."The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us to abandon old ways. What was considered taboo in the past has now become the new lifestyle. Digitalization, which was difficult to introduce in the past, must now be adopted by all institutions," he observed.

In addition, performance measurement, including budgeting methods, must be changed, while at the same time, new working programs must be introduced, he advised.

"For startups, the new methods have become their foundations from the beginning. But an institution which is 45 years old now, as I know, would often find it challenging to introduce new ways," he remarked."On the commemoration of its 45th anniversary, I believe UNS has committed itself to make major changes to develop science and technology, which is relevant to the demand, to produce graduates needed in the future," he said.

The labor market has also seen drastic changes, he pointed out. Many old types of jobs have disappeared and are no longer needed, he said.

"This requires (institutes of higher learning) to change study programs, curricula, and lecturers' characters. The fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, has done a lot. Old science and technology has become irrelevant. The theory of management, organization, and business models have also changed very much, and so have communication patterns and public behavior. Of course, the agenda of research must also make many changes," the President remarked//ANT