The Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) Program aims to transform higher education in Indonesia by producing superior and high-quality human resources.
Participation in this program enhances students’ competencies and broadens their understanding of job prospects. Furthermore, students who join the MBKM program find it easier to secure employment after graduation.
“Research on MBKM reveals that students who participate in the flagship MBKM programs take only 7.64 months to secure their first job after four years of study,” said Dr. Rr Tur Nastiti from the Kampus Merdeka Implementation Team during the Pojok Bulaksumur discussion titled “Continuing Higher Education Transformation through Independent MBKM” held on Friday (Jun. 28) at Balairung UGM.
Dr. Nastiti emphasized that this job waiting period is significantly better than the previous average of 10 months, demonstrating the positive impact of MBKM in preparing students for the workforce.
“These findings show the effectiveness of MBKM in improving graduates’ job prospects,” said the lecturer at the UGM Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB UGM).
Additionally, Dr. Nastiti noted that another survey showed that 33% of participants in the Certified Internship and Study (MSIB) program come from less privileged backgrounds.
This program offers social benefits by providing marginalized students with opportunities to access and strengthen their career paths.
More importantly, she highlighted the need for lecturers to embrace immersive pattern learning. Students should be allowed to learn from various sources, not just from a single program.
Dr. Sigit Priyanta, Secretary of the Directorate of Education and Teaching at UGM, stated that Universitas Gadjah Mada is committed to supporting MBKM policies through flagship programs such as MSIB, Merdeka Student Exchange, Campuses Teach, Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA), Merdeka Entrepreneurship, and Practitioners Teach.
He noted that MBKM grants students the right to learn outside their study programs and universities through various existing programs, enhancing their competencies and expanding their networks.
Arya Yudhistira, a Management student at FEB UGM, was accepted for internships at four companies simultaneously through the MSIB program in 2024. He mentioned that he could apply the knowledge he learned at FEB UGM during his Huawei internship.
“Huawei is also one of the 201 partners highly committed to the MSIB program,” added Dr. Nastiti.
Chriselda Erina Dewi Winarto, a student from the Indonesian Christian University of Maluku participating in the Merdeka Student Exchange (PMM) program at Universitas Gadjah Mada, shared her positive experience regarding cross-cultural communication.
“I feel that the PMM unites the archipelago, from Sabang to Merauke, allowing me to learn about various cultures,” Winarto said.
Author: Dita
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Firsto