UNS — The Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemendag RI) has partnered with Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta to develop the Campuspreneur Program, aimed at fostering young entrepreneurs among university students. The two-day event was held at the G.P.H. Haryo Mataram Auditorium, UNS, on Wednesday–Thursday (1–2 April 2026).
The event was attended by the Vice Rector for Planning, Cooperation, Internationalization, and Information of UNS, Prof. Irwan Trinugroho, S.E., M.Sc., Ph.D.; Special Staff for International Relations of the Ministry of Trade, Ir. Johni Martha, ACCS, MBA; and on the second day, the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Budi Santoso, M.Si., was scheduled to attend.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Irwan Trinugroho stated that this year marks the 50th anniversary of UNS, a golden milestone in the university’s journey. As a comprehensive university with 14 faculties and two schools, UNS continues to strengthen its commitment to contributing to national development, including supporting government programs in trade and entrepreneurship.
“We highly welcome this collaboration with the Ministry of Trade in organizing this program. From the beginning, UNS has expressed its full readiness to support this initiative through facilities, human resources, and program collaboration. This reflects our commitment to strengthening Indonesia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Prof. Irwan.
He highlighted that Indonesia’s current entrepreneurship ratio remains at around 3 percent, still far behind developed countries where the figure exceeds 10 percent. Therefore, collaborative efforts involving universities are crucial to increasing both the number and quality of entrepreneurs, particularly those with export-oriented businesses.
At UNS, entrepreneurship development is carried out through two main approaches. First, through student activities that encourage the growth of young entrepreneurs. Second, through lecturers and institutions such as the Institute for Research and Community Services (LPPM), which focus on innovation development and product downstreaming. These two approaches complement each other and strengthen the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“We view the Campuspreneur Program as a highly strategic initiative that must be successfully implemented together. We hope this program will produce more resilient, innovative young entrepreneurs who are capable of competing in the global market,” he added.
Meanwhile, Special Staff for International Relations of the Ministry of Trade, Ir. Johni Martha, ACCS, MBA, explained that the program serves as an effort to encourage the emergence of young entrepreneurs from among university students. This collaboration is considered a strategic step in strengthening the campus-based entrepreneurship ecosystem while improving the competitiveness of the younger generation in the trade sector.
The Campuspreneur Program is designed to provide comprehensive training for students, covering business idea development, business management, and marketing strategies in the digital era. Through the synergy between the Ministry of Trade and UNS, students are expected not only to become job seekers but also job creators capable of opening new employment opportunities.
With this collaboration, the Campuspreneur Program is expected to become a catalyst for producing highly competitive young generations who can make real contributions to national economic growth.
On the first day, Wednesday (1 April 2026), the program featured an entrepreneur expo showcasing products and services by students, alumni, and university-assisted MSMEs from Central Java and Yogyakarta Special Region. Product curation by modern retail companies, panel discussions, and coaching clinics were also conducted, providing guidance on branding, business licensing, and export readiness.
The panel discussions involved speakers from the Directorate of Domestic Product Marketing of the Ministry of Trade, the Center for Human Resource Development for Export and Trade Services of the Ministry of Trade, modern retail associations such as APRINDO and HIPPINDO, as well as academics from UNS.
On the second day, Thursday (2 April 2026), the agenda continued with the signing of several strategic cooperation agreements between the Ministry of Trade and various universities in implementing the tridharma of higher education in the field of trade. The event also included the signing of cooperation agreements for the development of export-oriented young entrepreneurs and letters of intent with modern retail sectors.
The highlight of the event was the official launch of the Young Entrepreneur Development Program Oriented Toward Export by the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia. The series of events was followed by business matching and pitching sessions with overseas trade representatives, as well as a continued exhibition of student products.
HUMAS UNS
