UNS – The Sebelas Maret Start-Up Academy (Semesta) of the Wirausaha Merdeka (WMK), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, has entered its immersion phase, allowing students to gain real-world business experience. Through this phase, students engage directly with 49 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) around the Greater Solo area. The onboarding event took place at UNS Lake on Friday (10/11/2024).
The immersion stage offers mentorship from SME entrepreneurs to guide students in refining their business ideas over eight weeks. During this time, students intern with SMEs under the guidance of SME mentors and field supervisors, ultimately producing market-ready product or service prototypes.
“We place students directly with selected SMEs around Solo to study, develop, and finalize their submitted business ideas,” Kresna Bayu Sangka, M.M., Ph.D., the Head of Semesta WMK UNS, said.
Dr. Dwi Prasetyani, Director of UNS’s Directorate of Alumni and Student Entrepreneurship, expressed UNS’s commitment to fostering student entrepreneurship, noting that the UNS community has produced numerous marketable, competitive products. This new directorate focuses exclusively on managing entrepreneurship programs within UNS.
Students were congratulated and encouraged for the journey ahead, especially as partner SMEs provided them with two months of dedicated mentorship. Dr. Dwi emphasized the essential role of these SME partners, highlighting that some partners have returned from previous years, indicating their willingness to keep training new students.
“We hope that new and returning partners can work with us to advance entrepreneurship at UNS,” Dr. Dwi stated.
Prof. Ir. Dody Ariawan, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., UNS Vice Rector of Student Affairs and Alumni, encouraged Semesta WMK students, highlighting the critical impact of entrepreneurship on Indonesia’s economy. He reminded students of the resilience needed for success as entrepreneurs.
“Entrepreneurship is challenging. Only those with strong mental fortitude can thrive. The journey involves pressures and dynamics, and only those with resilience can become successful entrepreneurs. I’m confident you have what it takes,” Prof. Doddy shared.
The Semesta UNS program outlines several stages for students. First is idea generation, involving market research, observation, and business model analysis. Next is business model validation, where students refine their business models with SME mentors and field supervisors. Prototyping follows, transforming validated ideas into tangible products, and testing, where prototypes undergo trials to understand consumer needs. Finally, product evaluation allows students to refine their products based on feedback.
This immersion phase also trains students in calculating production costs, cost of goods sold, and cash flow for their businesses. Through Semesta UNS, students receive support in obtaining a Business Registration Number (NIB), along with guidance on creating modern business communication strategies, including social media, product catalogs, and an attractive pitch deck.
SMEs play a crucial role in supporting students throughout the immersion. They actively assist students, providing guidance, feedback, and constructive assessments. Monitoring and evaluations are conducted twice, covering seven core topics in the UNS Semesta WMK Curriculum, helping ensure students gain valuable, actionable feedback.
Humas UNS
