From Campus to the real world: Bridging knowledge to practical skills

The challenge of the industrial revolution 4.0 must be responded quickly and appropriately by all stakeholders within the university to be able to improve the competitiveness of the students and alumni in the global competition. University students and alumni are required to have academic knowledge and soft skills. Lack of one of these skills can lead to reduce the quality of graduates. Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education of Indonesia command the university to prepare the human resources to meet the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Information and communication technology infrastructure development, adaptable university curriculum content toward the global market needs, partnering with industry and building entrepreneurial spirit have a vital role in accelerating the development of human resources in Indonesia and for being able to compete at the global level.

Tadulako University establishes the vision to be excellent in the community service through the development of education and research. Therefore, the quality of the students and alumni is the main concern. Vary programs have been developed and assessed regularly to implement a good quality of education and successful career. At the university level, and coordinated to the vice dean of academic affairs in the faculties,  divisions and departments were formed for the development of creativity, interest and sport, entrepreneurship, and career developments for students and alumni. The creativity and career development conduct regular Student Creativity Program and National Student Scientific Week (PKM-PIMNAS), Bina Desa Grant, student award (mahasiswa berprestasi), and other creativity competitions at national and international levels. Additionally, soft skill training and other services such as training to improve employability, recruitment on campus, career information and job vacancies are implemented regularly.

Division of Interest and Talent Development is responsible for student organization activities. Entrepreneurship division work for providing business training, business planning and development consulting, student business assistance, entrepreneurship exhibition, and entrepreneurship grant. 

In supporting students and alumni developments, Tadulako University has long networking with a consortium of Europe and Asia under the Erasmus project. Currently, we conduct joint activities, namely “Support of International Platform of Merging Labor and Education” (Known as SIMPLE PROJECT, website: www.projectsimple.eu). During this project, some partnership activities have been developed consistently, e.g., career day, soft skills training and tutorial, student internships, campus recruitments, and practical farming. Since our partner project located in some universities in Europe and Asia, project member in Tadulako University facilitated to visit the career day implementation in Agricultural Bogor University (IPB) Indonesia, University of Battambang Cambodia, and Kasetsart University Thailand. Sharing information and feedback during the career day is a part of the project meeting to develop the implementation of career day continuously. The career center at Faculty of Agriculture Tadulako university provides thematic soft skills training. Since Saturday is the official student day at Tadulako University, we conduct vary soft skills training at the Faculty of Agriculture every Saturday. The soft skills that continuously trained to the students are leadership, public speaking, writing, statistics based on freeware, achievement motivation, and English for academic and job application purposes. Besides, connecting the students to the real working world, the internship has become a mandatory curriculum for students to graduate as a bachelor particularly for Agribusiness Study Program in Faculty of Agriculture. We conduct the internship in two different ways, working in a company for 2-3 months or settle with farmers in a village and carry out several activities that are useful for community development in general. Faculty of Agriculture has agricultural field practical for farming. Student teach agronomical and plant pest controls to produce vegetables and fruits. These photos gallery below shows you some activities mentioned.