TIMES BENGKULU, JAKARTA – The academic community of Airlangga University (Unair) in collaboration with the Central Board of the Airlangga University Alumni Association (PP IKA Unair) organized a special "National Discussion" with the theme "Unair's Vision for Indonesia's Progress by 2034". This event took place at the JS Luwansa Hotel in Jakarta on Tuesday, (14/5/2024).

The discussion brought together experts from various fields. The purpose of the event was to dissect Unair's ideas for accelerating the achievement of Indonesia's Golden Era by 2045 through the path of Advanced Indonesian Education by 2034.

On this occasion, Unair's Rector, Professor Dr. Mohammad Nasih, presented a very comprehensive concept. "If we want to achieve an advanced Indonesia sooner than 2045, certain prerequisites must be met. These include economic growth, per capita income, poverty rates, open unemployment rates, as well as health and education," he said.

The vision for an advanced Indonesia by 2034 was presented in front of several experts representing various sectors. These included notable figures such as Prof. M. Nuh, a former Minister of Education and representative of PBNU, Prof. Hilman Latief, the Treasurer of PP Muhammadiyah, Arifin Asydhad, the Chairman of the Editors-in-Chief Forum, Sunarto, the Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 2018-2023, Dr. Solikin M. Juhro, Assistant Governor of Bank Indonesia, and several other experts and influential figures.

"To realize an advanced Indonesia, there are several aspects that must be achieved. For instance, the per capita income should be at least USD 13,000. Currently, we are at USD 5,000," said Prof. Nasih.

He further elaborated that to reach the status of a developed nation, the poverty rate must be reduced to a maximum of 2%, and economic growth should be at 9%. Additionally, the Human Development Index (HDI) must be elevated to at least 84, which is the minimum range for developed countries.

Other factors include investment growth, an unemployment rate that should be around 3%, and significant investment increases.

"To achieve these indicators comparable to developed countries, the root problem must be addressed, which is education. If we can improve the quality of education, the indicators where Indonesia is currently lacking can be met, and Indonesia can achieve developed nation status," emphasized Prof. Nasih.

He also stressed that through education, collective prosperity can be achieved, poverty can be reduced, and the HDI can be uplifted.

Prof. Nasih also highlighted that the main issues in improving the quality of education in Indonesia are accessibility, infrastructure, and equal distribution.

"In our view, enhancing the quality of education means primarily improving the quality of educators. The quality and standards of teachers need to be elevated. In rural areas, teachers often prioritize teaching with sincerity, but their capacities still need to be strengthened," he asserted.

He also noted that at the higher education level, the number of high school graduates should be encouraged to pursue further education. Currently, the average length of schooling in Indonesia is only 8.9 years, meaning many do not even complete middle school.

"Moreover, the number of master's and doctoral graduates in Indonesia is still very low. For a country to become advanced, it must have a significant number of well-educated individuals," he stated.

Investment in education is another area that needs improvement. Investment in higher education is currently only Rp 9.4 million per student, whereas in developed countries it reaches Rp 34 million per student. Prof. Nasih urged the government to view investment in education not as an expense but as an investment in realizing Indonesia's Golden Era.

Mitigative and Futuristic Discussion

Meanwhile, the General Chair of PP IKA Unair, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, appreciated the national discussion for being highly qualitative and comprehensive. She described it as very mitigative and futuristic, with each speaker providing input and views to accelerate Indonesia's Golden Era from 2045 to 2034.

"This national discussion dissecting Unair's ideas is intended to communicate to the public what breakthroughs we need to achieve an advanced Indonesia by 2034," emphasized Khofifah.

"This way, the challenges, asymmetrical constraints, and the best solutions that we can collectively pursue are communicated. The concept presented by the Rector of Unair is very comprehensive, and accelerating Indonesia's Golden Era from 2045 to 2034 can be achieved by improving the quality of education," she added.

Khofifah stated that these national discussions and concept dissections will be widely held and conducted in various regions. Input in the fields of economics, health, and other areas gathered today will be compiled into a final and comprehensive concept by July 2024.

"There are indeed significant challenges ahead. It is not easy to overcome them, but it is not impossible. For instance, reducing the poverty rate to 2% may seem difficult, but in East Java, we have proven that some areas have zero extreme poverty, which other regions can follow," she emphasized.

"In the manufacturing sector, the national target for the manufacturing industry in 2045 is 30%. In East Java, we have already reached 35% by mid-year. This means that despite the many challenges, the possibility of achieving our targets is very open if we all strive together," explained the Chairwoman of IKA Unair. (*)