The Regional Secretary (Sekda) of West Java Province, Iwa Karniwa, gave a public lecture on Thursday (9/11) at Widyatama University with the theme “Strategic Infrastructure Development in West Java, Challenges and Opportunities for Students.” On this occasion, Iwa explained that there are four things that the younger generation, especially students, must do in order to respond to intense competition.
First, said Iwa, the younger generation must improve their soft skills and hard skills. However, these two skills are not optimal if they are not accompanied by computer skills and foreign language skills.
“The soft skills and hard skills of students are considered insufficient because they must be supported by computer and language skills in order to face global competition, and universities have an obligation to address this issue,” said Iwa when giving a public lecture at the Auditorium Building (GSG) of the Widyatama University campus in Bandung.
Iwa explained that another thing that needs to be done is to build networking both internally and internationally because having good relationships will boost confidence.
“Good relationships must be established with all parties, both domestically and internationally, so that conditions become conducive,” said Iwa.
Third, how to build a learning organization that is divided into two things, namely innovation supported by broad knowledge such as computerization and foreign language skills.
“Don’t forget, if we want to become a developed country, we must foster an entrepreneurial spirit. The requirement is that growth must be above 4 percent,” said Iwa.
Fourth, how should the regional and national budget strategies be focused on health, education, and governance? The reason is that improvements will be futile if governance is poor and infrastructure improvements are not accompanied by increased purchasing power.
“That way, we will become a developed country. Remember, West Java is one of the pillars supporting Indonesia’s development into a developed country,” Iwa emphasized.
Meanwhile, Widyatama University Rector Dr. H. Islahuzzaman, S.E., M.Si., Ak., CA said that around 42 percent of students come from various regions in West Java. The construction of this infrastructure will facilitate access to learning, thereby improving the quality of human resources in each region.
One form of improving the quality of human resources is by holding public lectures. The Rector of Widyatama said that his party not only provides knowledge of soft skills that are already in the campus curriculum but also other knowledge. “The point is that they must understand the environment so that students are able to adapt to the outside world,” he concluded.
