As one of the universities trusted to implement the Independent Entrepreneurship Program (WMK) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), the Universitas Indonesia (UI) held a Demo Day of the Independent Entrepreneurship Program entitled Wira-Cipta Universitas Indonesia (Wira- Create UI). The event was the culmination of a series of activities that have been going on for three months (from September 2 to December 2, 2022) online, attended by 188 participants from 53 tertiary institutions from all over Indonesia consisting of 6 Diploma programs, 61 Bachelor programs, and 3 programs Masters.
When delivering a welcoming speech, the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, drg. Nurtami, Ph.D., Sp, OF(K). said, “As part of the effort to carry out the Tri Dharma of Higher Education and also to establish UI as an entrepreneurial university, UI has made the WMK program an active effort in developing the mindset and basic competencies of participants in the field of entrepreneurship.” Apart from developing skills, drg.
That is why, this program is expected to enrich experience as well as strengthen and expand networks. Thus, various entrepreneurs and startup companies will be born that will continue to grow and develop which will certainly lift the national economy.
Head of the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Independent Entrepreneurial Program, Dr. Wachyu Hari Haji, MPM, CHRA., expressed his hope that Wira-Cipta UI would become a model for other universities in increasing entrepreneurial competence. Diploma, undergraduate and even postgraduate graduates should have the mindset of opening jobs, not looking for work. “Universities as the spearhead of product innovation are also required to provide provisions to their graduates so they can create a mature business plan, so that their products can develop sustainably,” said Dr. Wachyu.
The Demo Day activity was opened offline at the Convention Center, UI Campus, Depok by presenting speakers from UI startups, namely Inventing and Medimedi to inspire participants to become creative and competitive young entrepreneurs. Then, the participants who have been collaborating online so far, were made more fluid and unified by the outbound activities which were held at the Balairung UI Depok building.
At the closing of the event, Chair of the Organizing Committee Prasandhya Astagiri Yusuf, S.Si, MT, Ph.D, who also serves as Head of the Business Incubator Sub-Directorate, Directorate of UI Science Technopark Innovation said, “This pre-incubation program can be continued by all business teams to submit UI grant proposals. INCUBATE with funding of up to 200 million rupiah. In this way, mature individuals as well as business teams will be better equipped to manage funding to carry out their business ideas and scale up Thus, mature individuals and business teams will be better prepared to manage funding to carry out their business ideas and increase the success rate of startups incubated at UI.” In other words, students are expected to become graduates who own companies. a pilot that grows and develops sustainably, and contributes positively to the national economy.”
Since the WMK UI program was officially implemented in early September, this program has carried out various series of program implementations, such as the “Wira-Cipta” Bootcamp Series Resource Lectures, mentoring sessions with industrial mentor practitioners, and assistance classes with Field Assistant Lecturers (DPL) which take place regularly every week. It is hoped that from this Demo Day activity, program participants who have gained theoretical and practical knowledge during program implementation can produce and present potential products or business prototypes.
