Chairman of the Indonesian National Economic Council, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan Gives a Public Lecture at Udayana University

Denpasar - Udayana University (Unud) held a Public Lecture on the Role of Higher Education in Realizing a Golden Indonesia 2045 with the Chairman of the National Economic Council of the Republic of Indonesia, General TNI (Purn) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan at the Postgraduate Building, Sudirman Campus, Denpasar, Thursday (21/11/2024). This public lecture was attended by hundreds of participants consisting of students, lecturers, representatives of Forkompinda, candidate pairs participating in the regional elections in Bali and other invitees.

Rector of Unud Prof. Ir. I Ketut Sudarsana, ST., Ph.D in his speech said that as a higher education institution, Udayana University does not only focus on academic development, but also on the social and economic development of Bali, and is committed to developing solutions that can improve the welfare of the Balinese people and support Bali as a sustainable international tourism destination. As part of our commitment to sustainable development and achieving a Golden Indonesia 2045, Udayana University continues to increase its capacity to produce innovative research that is relevant to society's needs. 

"We believe that education is the main key in creating solutions to various challenges facing the nation, from food security to the creative economy which is the focus of Indonesia's future vision. Through various collaborations with industry and government as well as various universities in the world, we are ready to face the challenges future, including realizing the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045," said the Rector of Unud.

The Rector also said that as part of Indonesia's efforts towards "Golden Indonesia 2045", Udayana University plays an active role in supporting various pillars in the President's Asta Cita Program, especially those related to developing superior human resources, improving infrastructure quality, and increasing global competitiveness. 

"With a spirit of togetherness and strong commitment, we at Udayana University will continue to support the big goals in the Asta Cita Presidential Program, with a focus on strengthening the quality of human resources and our role in supporting sustainable national development," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Economic Council of the Republic of Indonesia, General TNI (Ret.) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, in his presentation said that digitalization is needed to support economic growth. This is believed to reduce inefficiency and reduce corruption. One example of digitalization is e-Catalog. By 2024, almost 70 percent of government spending will be through e-Catalog. This is done for the efficiency of the Indonesian economy. We can see how digitalization ultimately supports the Indonesian economy. But it doesn't stop there, no matter how sophisticated the technology we have, if it is not accompanied by cohesiveness in the execution process, it will also be useless.

It is also important to maintain solidarity between central and regional leaders so that the use of digitalization can be successful to support the country's progress. The existence of Udayana University as a place where many Balinese researchers are located should be used as a collaborative partner to carry out research to build regional economic development. It is also important to maintain the characteristics of Bali as a world tourist destination so that it remains on track, namely upholding cultural values ​​and local wisdom. 

"This is a big HW for any prospective leader who will lead Bali. The character of Bali must be maintained. Use Udayana University together with the researchers and academics within it to carry out research and studies related to Bali," he said.

In this public lecture there was also a discussion session involving the participants present.