Dozens of Indonesian Students Compete to Be the National Outstanding Students
This year's National Outstanding Students Selection was held at Swissbell Hotel Bogor, (23/7). Of the 200 participants from various universities in Indonesia, there were 15 undergraduate students and 15 diploma students who compete to become the national outstanding students.
For diploma program, they came from IPB University, Surabaya State Shipping Polytechnic, Jenderal Sudirman University, Sari Mulia University, University of Indonesia, Telkom University, Yogyakarta State University, Surabaya State Electronic Polytechnic, Sriwijaya State Polytechnic, Bali International Tourism School, Bengkalis State Polytechnic, Gadjah Mada University, Brawijaya University, Pekalongan University, and Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology.
While for undergraduate program, students came from IPB University, Padjadjaran University, Andalas University, Jakarta State University, Muhammadiyah Malang University, Yogyakarta State University, Gadjah Mada University, University of Indonesia, Muhammadiyah Purwokerto University, Malang State University, Bandung Institute of Technology, Brawijaya University, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Airlangga University, and Parahyangan Catholic University.
Dr. Misbah Fikrianto, Head of the Sub Directorate of Reasoning and Creativity, Directorate of Student Affairs, Directorate General of Higher Education, in his remarks said that the selection of national outstanding students was intended to select excellent students who could be role models and good examples for Indonesia's young generation.
"There were several assessment components such as scientific works and excellent works, which are not only in the academic field but also in student activities, because extracurricular activities are important. In addition, the English language and psychological aspects were also assessed to see the personality base, honesty, discipline, communication skill, and national insight. Outstanding students must have achievement both in academic field and social field. The selection was mostly conducted through Small Group Discussion (SGD)," he said.
Meanwhile, there was a specific reason why Bogor City became the location of the event. According to Dr. Misbah, in Bogor there is IPB University which Rector, Dr. Arif Satria, has extraordinary thoughts regarding the condition of higher education in Indonesia today.
In his keynote speech, Dr. Arif Satria gave an overview of the research that had been carried out by universities abroad. Australia, India, and Japan have developed new skills that must be possessed by young people.
"Our young generation must have complex problem solving. This skill is needed to face the era of industrial revolution 4.0 and Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA). The young generation must have a strong vision, a strong understanding, and high agility," he said.
Dr. Arif welcomed this outstanding students selection event. He added that this new era requires creative people, thus, this event was a place to choose students who have a balance of both soft skills and hard skills.
"Success is not merely hardskills. Characters are also important, such as discipline and skills that are compatible with new situations," he said. (Dh/Zul/zsp)
