Higher Education Transformation: Championing the "Diktisaintek Berdampak" Movement

Higher education in Indonesia is now entering a new era. Through a strategic initiative launched by the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Mendiktisaintek), Prof. Brian Yuliarto, a national movement called "Diktisaintek Berdampak" (Impactful Higher Education, Science, and Technology) has been introduced.

This movement is not just a program, but a collective commitment to ensure that higher education, science, and technology no longer merely revolve within academic circles, but must be able to deliver tangible and measurable impacts for the progress of society and the nation. This launch is in line with the efforts to pursue the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision and the Asta Cita priority program.

Four Main Challenges of Transformation

In his speech, Minister Brian Yuliarto emphasized that the envisioned higher education transformation must be able to address four fundamental challenges:

1. Access: Opening the widest possible access to higher education for all the nation's children without exception.
2. Quality: Guaranteeing an equitable and standardized quality of education in all higher education institutions across all regions.
3. Relevance: Ensuring that graduates and the research developed are relevant to the nation's needs and the demands of the industrial world.
4. Impact: Producing innovations and graduates that ultimately provide a real impact on societal progress.

The Four Pillars of "Diktisaintek Berdampak"

To address these four challenges, the "Diktisaintek Berdampak" movement is supported by three main pillars that will be the focus of future development:

1. Superior Human Capital

This pillar focuses on expanding access through various schemes such as KIP Kuliah, KIP Daerah (Regional KIP), and new initiatives like the Garuda Schools and Garuda Scholarships. However, this pillar does not stop at access. Character strengthening, instilling a spirit of leadership, and developing student entrepreneurial skills are integral parts of creating holistically superior human capital.

2. Campuses as Hubs for Regional Economic Growth

Higher education institutions are encouraged to break down rigid administrative barriers. The Minister is pushing for intensive collaboration between established, advanced campuses and those that are still developing. The goal is for facilities, laboratories, and faculty resources to be utilized jointly and optimally, turning campuses into new centers or hubs for economic growth in their respective regions.

3. Research and Policy Accelerators

Research must no longer end up in libraries or journals. This third pillar directs research and innovation to focus on solving real problems in society. This will be realized through the establishment of thematic research consortia and technology startup incubation.

4. Greater Autonomy for University

Goverment gives universities greater autonomy—the freedom and the trust they need to innovate, to be agile, and to respond quickly to the challenges and opportunities around them 

Penta Helix Collaboration: Industry as the Locomotive

Minister Brian Yuliarto emphasized that this transformation is impossible for the ministry or higher education institutions to carry out alone. The key to its success lies in Penta Helix collaboration, involving five elements: campus, government, industry, society, and the media.

Specifically, the Minister referred to industry as the "locomotive of progress." Higher education institutions are encouraged to partner closely with the industrial world, positioning themselves as key supporters that provide studies and solutions for the real-world problems faced by the industry. Through this collaboration, the "death valley"—where much research fails to become a commercial product—can be bridged, ensuring that campus innovations truly reach downstream implementation and their benefits are felt by the public.

In essence, "Diktisaintek Berdampak" is a call to move forward together, ensuring that every asset and activity in higher education—from teaching to research—provides a tangible contribution to Indonesia's progress.