Jakarta ( WNAM MONITORING): Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro encouraged all universities to have partnership schemes to facilitate improving the quality of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
“Three forms of partnerships are currently being established between universities and the business world, namely student internships, industrial training and joint research, and curriculum alignment. Such partnership is expected to improve the quality of MSMEs products,” the minister noted in a statement from his office on Saturday.
According to Brodjonegoro, student internships are the main form of collaboration between vocational higher education and the business world and industry.
Meanwhile, the second form can be realized through developing partnerships between vocational education units related to industrial training and joint research.
The third form is curriculum alignment through involving the industrial world from the planning stage in a bid to align the needs of the industry with the ability of vocational education graduates.
However, he drew attention to challenges in this idea, such as excessive dependence on student internship programs as a form of collaboration.
The minister noted that dependence on student internships reflects the weak diversification of partnership programs between vocational education units and the industrial world.
Brodjonegoro then called for a more strategic, innovative, and relevant partnership approach between universities and the business world and industry.
“We need broader, more impactful, and sustainable partnerships,” he remarked.
Hence, he encouraged universities to offer various relevant programs to the business world and industry as a strategic investment for them.
Such an effort is expected to establish partnerships and positively influence students, the business world, and industry.
Meanwhile, Minister of Trade Budi Santoso stated that the Indonesian domestic market is quite large, with vast potential to be developed by the domestic industry, including MSMEs.
“Many universities have business incubators, and we can build cooperation with them. We are seeking collaboration to reach a global market,” he stated.
