Indonesia is predicted to have a bonus in terms of demography, which means that the number of population at productive age will exceed those of the non-productive ones. This will obviously pose opportunities and challenges. Preparations have to be made well to make optimum results of the bonus for the country.
“The bigger population of productive age, the stronger the drive for a nation’s progress. But if it’s not supported by good quality, it will hamper the nation development instead,” said chairman of graduate students association of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Muhammad Takbir M, M.Pd., M.Phil, on Wednesday(8/3).
This is the main issue in a public discussion themed Demographic Bonus: Role and Challenges of the Youth to Meet Global Competition, which was organised by the student association on Saturday (25/2) at Faculty of Geography UGM.
Takbir explained the association wished to facilitate different groups to address this issue by making real acts as an attempt to meet the opportunities and challenges that arise.
“Essentially, we wanted to ask many groups to think about this demographic bonus, especially the government, campus and industry. The goal is for them to work in synergy. It’s important to do because the absorption of university graduates by the workforce is always limited,” he said.
Speakers in the discussion were Rector of UGM Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M.Sc., Ph.D., Head of Manpower and Transmigration Agency of Yogyakarta, dr. Andung Prihadi Santosa, M.Kes., and acting Deputy Head for Youth Development in Youth and Sports Ministry, Dr. Jonni Mardizal, M.M. Meanwhile, Dean of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of UGM, Dr. Erwan Agus Purwanto, M.Si. and Head of Psychology department of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Dr. Mustadin Taggala, S.Psi., M.Si. also became speakers.
“Hopefully, the demographic bonus is really a bonus, and going forward, elements of government, higher learning and industry are more synergistic. The campus also needs to improve the human resource quality so they will have more room in the industry as well as regulation support from government,” said Takbir.
The event is a form of contribution of the student association’s new chairmanship to give scientific discussions that are relevant to current national issues. Other events they hold are blood donor in cooperation with the graduate students’ social act and the Indonesian Red Cross of Sleman branch.