Udayana University Launches Wirausaha Merdeka Program (WMK) 2022

Udayana University (Unud) through the Student Affairs Bureau held the Launching and Introduction of the Independent Entrepreneurial Program (WMK) at Udayana University in 2022 online through Cisco Webex, Wednesday (7/9/2022).

Coordinator of MBKM Unud Dr.Ir. I Ketut Sardiana, M.Si in his report said that Wirausaha Merdeka is part of the Merdeka Campus program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of Indonesia which provides opportunities for students to learn and develop themselves into prospective entrepreneurs through activities outside of class lectures. The Independent Entrepreneurial Program collaborates with Implementing Universities to develop entrepreneurial learning. Udayana University is one of the implementing universities for the WMK Kemdikbudristek Program, after passing a series of selections carried out by the WMK Kemdikbudristek Working Group. The number of applicants for WMK activities at Unud was 550 and who passed the selection were 515 people from 8 universities in Bali, consisting of 384 from Udayana University; Dwijendera University (60); Panji Sakti University (36); Triatma Mulia University (13); Markandeya University (11); Warmadewa University (8); IPB International (1); CONTENTS (1); Bali Institute of Technology and Health (1).

WMK at Unud involved 52 DPLs, 13 administrators, 35 expert consultants from leading SME CEOs, and 35 SMEs for internships. Acting as the PIC of the Independent Entrepreneurial Program is the Entrepreneurship Development Unit (UPK) of the Unud Student Affairs Bureau which is chaired by Mrs. Dr. Sagung Candra Yowani, Apt. with Secretary Mrs. Dr. Ni Putu Ariantari, Apt. The activity starts on 5 September until the 2nd week of December 2022. Learning activities consist of entrepreneurship workshops, internships in SMEs, bootcamps and investment summits, as well as evaluations. Student activities participating in the WMK program will earn 20 credits of conversion. Through the entrepreneurship learning system carried out outside the campus, it is hoped that it will be able to hone the entrepreneurial spirit, encourage increased entrepreneurial experience and increase student employability.

The Chairperson of the Independent Entrepreneurial Program Working Group of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Wachyu Hari Haji, in his speech said that the Independent Entrepreneurial Program (WMK) is a program initiated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology which aims to prepare superior human resources in the field of entrepreneurship. "So we prepare students to become entrepreneurs," he said.

The output of this program is not that students are now entrepreneurs but students are ready to become entrepreneurs. In this activity, students will be taught how to find valid ideas, prototyping and market validation. A total of 17 universities were selected among 141 universities and Udayana University was one of them. Wachyu Hari Haji expressed his appreciation and hoped that Unud students could pass this activity on to other younger students, both inside and outside Unud. Thanks were also conveyed to the Unud Leaders who were willing to be the organizers of this program and collaborated between the Ministry of Education and Culture, Research and Technology and Unud.

Meanwhile, the Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Prof. Ir. Ngakan Putu Gede Suardana, MT., Ph.D., IPU. on this occasion conveyed, this WMK activity is very good because it aims to increase or foster an entrepreneurial spirit from students, so Udayana University strongly supports this activity especially related to MBKM. "I am sure there will be many things that students will get, therefore students are expected to take part in this activity well because in this activity students fully carry out activities outside of campus," he said.

This activity will later be recognized as an Independent Learning Independent Campus (MBKM) activity which later is to fulfill the main performance indicators (IKU) and SIMKATMAWA from universities. Students are expected to become agents of change who help improve the quality of the community's economy and become agents of driven in providing innovative solutions to create jobs through opportunities and student business development, as well as become agents of creators. to grow new entrepreneurial potential in Indonesia.