Since the 1980s, competitiveness is the main theme in the discussion of world economy both in academic or practical domains. The concept that once was attached to corporations now became relevant to the state development strategy. In the dynamic global situation, competitiveness is a crucial factor that determines if a nation can flourish.
Such statement was said by former Vice-President, Prof. Dr. Boediono, in a keynote speech during the 8th Economics and Business Doctoral Colloquium and Conference (EBDCC), on Friday (18/11) at Faculty of Economics and Business UGM. The EBDCC this time had the theme “Towards Sustainable Resources by Empowering Indonesia’s Capabilities and Competitiveness.”
To the attending graduate and doctoral students, Mr. Boediono described the importance of good approach to understand the global condition and find strategies for a sustainable national development. The complex modern situation, according to Boediono, requires experts and practitioners to focus not only on technical issues, but also wider perspective.
On competitiveness, he said how to find a more fundamental determinant than competitiveness. He said there were three key issues for state development, being HR quality, institutional building, and infrastructure improvement.
“I have obseved that one nation that wants to progress and be prosperous has to do these three key issues for a long term, not only every 3 or 5 years,” he said.
Similarly, Prof. Dr. Ir. Hermanto Siregar, M. Ec., Economics and Management professor from IPB said leadership, institution or government, and infrastructure, became three main challenges for increasing competitiveness in the country. The heterogenous character ofIndonesia that causes a gap, also became a challenge on its own.
EBDCC is held annually by Magister and Doctoral programme of Faculty of Economics and Business UGM and Association of Students and Doctoral Alumni, this time lasting from 18 – 19 November 2016. As many as 120 participants joined the event, including 60 presenters that discussed topics on capabilities and competitiveness in Indonesia.