Insights from the Panel Discussion

On Tuesday (25/2/2025), the third-panel discussion featured Zeba Salman as the moderator. The panelists included:

• Ibrahim Fatwa Wijaya, S.E., M.Sc., Ph.D. – Director of Planning, Partnerships, Internationalization, and Reputation at UNS, Indonesia.
• Dian Ekowati, S.E., M.Si., M.AppCom(OrgCh)., Ph.D. – Head of Planning and Development at Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia.
• Prof. Sibrand Poppema – President of Sunway University, Malaysia.

The discussion focused on the relationship between rankings and employability in education. Representing UNS, Ibrahim emphasized that universities should go beyond rankings and prioritize critical thinking and problem-solving skills. He linked this idea to the Islamic world’s historical contributions to innovation, urging modern universities to rekindle this spirit.

“Rankings should serve as a tool to assess an institution’s strengths and weaknesses rather than just a competition,” Ibrahim stated.

Meanwhile, Dian Ekowati stressed that universities play a crucial role in bridging the skills gap in the workforce. She pointed out that ranking systems increasingly assess graduate employability—focusing on how well graduates meet labor market demands.

“We must ensure that our graduates possess not only technical expertise but also soft skills. These include creative thinking, collaboration, and innovation,” she explained.

Adding to the discussion, Prof. Sibrand Poppema noted that rankings often prioritize research and reputation over employability. However, employability is gaining recognition as a key metric.

“Graduates stand out when they combine technical expertise, soft skills, and strong values. In the long run, critical thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset are more valuable than technical knowledge alone,” he affirmed.

The Importance of Industry Collaboration

Dian also highlighted the urgency for universities to adapt to rapid industry changes.

“Close collaboration with industry is essential for producing job-ready graduates. Strategic integration of insights into university performance indicators also plays a crucial role,” she stated.

The discussion directly supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17: Partnerships for the Goals. The speakers agreed that strong university-industry collaboration is vital to producing graduates who meet market needs.

As the host, UNS reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the link between education and industry. “Reinforcing partnerships between higher education and industry helps produce competitive graduates. It also contributes to societal development,” Ibrahim concluded.

HUMAS UNS

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Based on the announcement from CLSA FH Universitas Jember (Unej) the team won the first place, and outperform Universitas Lampung and Universitas Airlangga (Unair) Surabaya that won 2nd and 3rd place.

CLSA is a national conference on criminal laws to facilitate students to channel their talents, interests, and potential in the field of legal writing with an outcome of an anti-corruption scientific article. Fanisa Luthfia Putri Erwanti, explained that they went through a tough process to win 1st place. The process started from registration documents, administration selection, divide the tasks, and consulting their supervisor, Diana Lukitasari, S.H., M. H. The registration was opened on 12 July, and finalists were announced on 22 August 2021, followed by a presentation on 29 August and winners announcement on 30 August. Fanisa explained that she invited her team members on 24 July, and when they were about to register, their idea was not accepted by the supervisor.

“Finding an original idea for corruptor punishments is tricky, and after consulting Bu Diana, we got a clearer idea that we execute directly,” Luthfia Putri Erwanti said.

The team worked hard to complete their article and needed to work until early morning. Luthfia stated that they faced difficulty with the use of bodynote application and finding an exciting title for their article until one day before the submission deadline. Even four hours from the closing, they still needed to edit their dictions, but the team managed to submit their work and all required documents on time.

After submission, the long waiting welcomed them until they were announced as finalists on 22 August 2021 and required to present their idea and conceptual framework. During the final, they had pessimistic hope when the jury announced the 3rd and 2nd winners before the first winner. “Unexpectedly, we won 1st place, and we felt speechless,” Fanisa Luthfia Putri Erwanti said.

The team shared gratefulness because CLSA National Conference was their first competition, and they won first place nonetheless. Humas UNS

Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti

The post Winning Over Unair, UNS Students Won 1st Prize in CLSA National Conference 2021 appeared first on Universitas Sebelas Maret.