UNS — The Alumni Association (IKA) of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta held Wedangan IKA UNS series-70 on “Bagaimana di Era Sulit Penghasilan Melejit?” (How to Increase Income in Difficult Time) through Zoom Cloud Meeting on Wednesday (11/8/2021).
Two speakers were invited to this Wedangan, including the Directorate General of Citizenship and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) Ministry of Internal Affairs (Kemendagri) RI Prof. Zudan Arif Fakrullah, and businessman, writer, and leading national motivator, Tung Desem Waringin.
The event was opened directly by the Rector of UNS Prof. Jamal Wiwoho, and the Chairman of IKA UNS Ir. Budi Harto. In his opening remark, Prof. Jamal thanked IKA UNS for its consistency in holding Wedangan IKA UNS. He also stated that many people always await the event entering the 70th series because it discusses diverse topics, including entrepreneurship, especially on the tips to increase income during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“If we open this (event) for all Indonesian people, many will join,” Prof. Jamal said.
Adding to Prof. Jamal’s opening remark, Ir. Budi Harto invited the participants to contribute to preventing and reducing SARS-CoV-2 spread. “We will commemorate Independence Day soon. Hopefully, in the day that we are waiting for, we get the Grace of Almighty God (that) we will be in a better condition than now,” he added.
As the first speaker, Prof. Zudan shared his life experience with the participants. In the Covid-19 pandemic, he said that he chooses to enjoy his life and put life as a journey which he enjoys the stages. “From morning to night and from my journey, there are points when I need to stop, take a break, and run. Therefore, only each knows where are their position,” Prof. Zudan said. The director-general also added that during the pandemic, there are several types of human characters. First, those who like to give critics, berate, and get angry. Then people who are ‘semeleh’ or make peace and accept the difficult condition. Lastly, people who could create creativity amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prof. Zudan thinks that the second and third characters should be adopted by society to survive the pandemic. “The third character is people who create and get better during the Covid-19 pandemic. On one side, some people are creating new things. Life is a match; we are not always winning, but pray that when we lose, we are not crying and sad,” he added.
The second speaker, Tung Desem Waringin or TDW, stated that it is essential to understand allocation instead of speculation during a difficult time. He recommended that people invest their wealth in crisis-resistant businesses or assets to mitigate the difficult times. He suggested that people not only invest in business or assets that are in the hype. “Three times of crises income skyrocket. In 1997-1998 income skyrocket many folds. In 2007-2008, Lehman Brothers, my income skyrocketed,” TDW said.
The Faculty of Law (FH) UNS 1987 alumnus stated that intellectual investment is also vital to face the difficult time that causes the economy to decline. This investment could be in new knowledge, which he applied by studying the political and economic dynamics between the US and China before the pandemic struck. He mentioned that since 2017 the trade war between the two big countries was getting severe, making him think that cash is king.
TDW shared that before the Covid-19 pandemic affected Indonesia, he decided to sell several hotels in several cities and moved his business into the laundry. For him, laundry is a crisis-resilient business even though he is still experiencing declining sales due to the limited mobility and economy amid the pandemic.
“So, anticipating in 2017, I read a book and participated in the seminar. US and China started currency war from trade war and currency. If now I buy 15 properties, successful people anticipate but don’t react. Then assets allocation is not speculation. For me, assets allocation is different from speculation,” he concluded. Humas UNS
Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti