Bali Indonesia, 5 September - The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Graduate Employability (CEM) of Universiti Putra Malaysia has successfully organised the International Career & Entrepreneurship Enhancement Programme 2023 from 30 August to 4 September 2023 at the University of Udayana, Bali, Indonesia.

The programme has successfully created a breakthrough in strengthening the career development activities of UPM students' graduates and entrepreneurship. It is a valuable platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience on career development and entrepreneurship between the two public universities.

According to CEM Director, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mass Hareeza Ali, the programme is an initiative aimed at providing exposure to student entrepreneurs on the business of entrepreneurs globally, especially in exotic destinations such as Bali Island.

"This program allows students to understand the challenges and opportunities in international business, as well as develop the skills needed to succeed in the global economy.

"Students can see new opportunities in the global business arena. This is a positive step in driving economic growth and empowering the younger generation in achieving the goals of job creation and improvement of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) dreamed of by our government", he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, third year student of the Faculty of Agriculture Siti Sarah Sahrizal said she was very lucky to have the opportunity to see unique local entrepreneurial projects focused on the global tourism industry in Bali.

"I have visited various business premises and witnessed the way business products are marketed amid fierce competition in Bali, known as one of the world's best-known tourist destinations.

"I am excited to see that wood waste can be harnessed into a new product once reworked. For example, the remains of the wooden branches are carved into cute little stuffed animals. Of course it can be income to his entrepreneur.

"I believe the creativity of handicraft operators in Bali has preserved the Cycle Economy without him knowing", he said when he was found shortly after arriving at KLIA2 International Airport today.

He who is one of the student entrepreneurs in UPM was excited for the first time to take part in this program, besides enjoying a new experience.

In addition to providing opportunities for students to gain new knowledge, the program also enables CEM officers to learn the approaches used by Udayana University in developing graduate careers and entrepreneurship at the regional and national levels.

One of the outstanding successes was the Wirausaha Student Program (PMW), which forms part of the University of Udayana's strategy in building entrepreneurial talent among students.

PMW offers a range of facilities including entrepreneurship training, apprenticeships, business bootcamp, financial support and business assistance. The programme has helped to achieve the Indonesian government's vision and mission to boost economic growth through the improvement of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector as well as job creation.

Meanwhile, Udaya University also implemented the Merdeka Heroes Programme (WMK) which is also part of the ongoing effort to advance the development of student entrepreneurship, and it is coordinated with the Merdeka Campus Prime Programme introduced by President Jokowi.

The programme is the flagship programme of the Merdeka Campus from the Ministry of Education and Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemendikbudristek), where the programme aims to provide learning and self-development to become a potential entrepreneur through activities outside the lecture classroom.

It demonstrates the commitment of Udayana University in building a strong generation of entrepreneurial-skilled students, who can make a positive contribution to the country's economic growth.

The WMK program lasts 20 weeks (900 hours) which is equivalent to 20 credits, starting from several stages of developing the basic entrepreneurial mindset and skills, training at Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Bootcamps to prepare business models and prototypes, and ending with expos and investment summits.

According to Drs. I Ketut Kartika, Head of Student Division, Udayana University, entrepreneurship is one of the main targets in Indonesia. This is because Indonesia is currently not eligible to be a developed country as the number of entrepreneurs has yet to meet international standards. This, of course, can be started from the student level where they are already taught about critical thinking and are ready to be at the forefront of opening up job opportunities.

"The WMK program is in line with Presidential Rule No 2 of 2022 which aims to reach a million young entrepreneurs by 2024. Of course, current students will soon become young entrepreneurs.

"Don't always think about how to get a job after graduation, they should think about how to create a job," he said.

The 'International Career & Entrepreneurship' 2023 program is an example of success in the effort to benchmark the career development activities of graduates and entrepreneurship of students globally.

It not only provides opportunities for students and officials to understand international business but also builds networks and develops the skills needed to succeed in a fast-paced global economy.

Through continuous efforts such as this, CEM can help fulfill the vision and mission of the country in general and UPM in particular in line with the UPM Strategic Plan 2021-2025 which is to Produce the Character of Resilient Graduates Against Coming Challenges. At once, the realization of the Higher Education Institutions Entrepreneurship Action Plan (PTK) 2021-2025 and the Graduate Employability Strategic Plan 2021-2025, Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.

Moving forward, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Udayana University will be planning student exchange activities and entrepreneurial instructors in the future.

This will provide opportunities for students and officers of both universities to gain more experience in the international environment and expand their vision of global entrepreneurship – CEM.

Date of Input: 06/09/2023 | Updated: 28/11/2023 | zul_mohd