Tangerang, June 22, 2023 – Developments in various fields due to the pandemic, technological transformations, and environmental changes have resulted in significant changes in almost every aspect of life. These changes are inevitable and will significantly impact the global workforce structure in the future. 

Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) recognizes its role in preparing the younger generation for success in the digital era and becoming excellent leaders. Therefore, UPH held the UNBOX! UPH event at Lippo Village Campus, Tangerang, from June 22 to 24, 2023. The event aims to provide a platform for high school students to maximize their potential and prepare them to contribute as excellent, creative, and global-minded national leaders. 

Alongside the main event, UPH also organized a Media Gathering on Thursday, June 22, 2023. UPH sees the mass media as one of its main strategic partners in disseminating information and education to the public. With the theme “UNBOX (Y)OUR POTENTIAL!”, this event aims to establish mutually beneficial relationships and explore cooperation opportunities with various media outlets. 

The UPH Media Gathering 2023 event was attended by Yayasan Pendidikan Pelita Harapan (YPPH) Executive Director Stephanie Riady, B.A., M.Ed., Ph.D., UPH VP for Marketing and Growth Binsar Pandiangan, UPH Associate Provost for Academic and Innovation and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology (FaST) Eric Jobiliong, Ph.D., UPH Associate Provost for Student Development Andry M. Panjaitan, S.T., M.T., CPHCM, as well as UPH Associate Provost for Faith and Learning Integration Hendra Thamrindinata, S.Si., M.Div., M.A. (Th.), Ph.D. (Cand.). 

In her speech, Stephanie expressed her hope that UPH, as part of the YPPH ecosystem, can provide quality and relevant education that meets the needs of the current and future world. She also appreciated the support given by the mass media. 

“We have a common goal, which is to provide information and education to the public. This task is tremendous, and we are aware that we cannot do it alone. Therefore, we appreciate the partnership and synergy that has been established in advancing education in Indonesia. We hope that this partnership can continue to bring positive impact to society through quality education and the delivery of accurate and educational information,” said Stephanie. 

UNBOX UPH: UPH’s Initiative to Foster Achievement and Unleash the Potential of Gen-Z 

During the event, Binsar Pandiangan explained the background and purpose of the UNBOX! UPH event.  

“The youth that are currently studying school are the excellent seeds of the next generation and the determinants of the nation’s future. By 2045, they will be the productive-age population. Therefore, educational institutions play a key role in providing education and opportunities for them to achieve excellence. That’s why we present UNBOX! UPH” said Binsar. 

Binsar explained that UNBOX! UPH series of activities commenced in January 2023, with visits and roadshows to various schools in the Jabodetabek area. The event’s culmination was from June 22 to 24, 2023, at UPH Lippo Village Campus. The event includes the UNBOX! your Talents competition, where participants can showcase their skills in various fields such as sports, arts, and science. Additionally, there is the UNBOX! your Potentials masterclass, which provides insights into personal potential and future career trends; UNBOX! your faculty, which offers an understanding of suitable study programs and career opportunities; UNBOX! Market bazaar, featuring dozens of vendors, as well as the highlight of the event, the UNBOX! Concert, featuring students from UPH’s Conservatory of Music program, singer Ziva Magnolya, and RAN. 

Participants who registered for this event came from more than 100 schools in Jabodetabek area, as well as students and public who also participated in the UNBOX! your Talents competition. The target was to have 10,000 participants throughout the entire series of activities. 

“Through this event, UPH hopes that high school students can discover their own potential and choose the right majors and universities to achieve their optimal potential. This aligns with UPH’s mission to develop transformational leaders – future leaders who are excellent and capable of making an impact on Indonesia and the world,” said Binsar. 

Challenges of Future Education and UPH Innovations 

Eric Jobiliong, in his presentation, revealed that the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Chatbots has led to changes in almost every aspect of life and will impact current and future professions. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2023 report, 23% of jobs are expected to undergo changes by 2027, with 69 million new jobs created and 83 million jobs replaced. Factors such as health, economic, and geopolitical instability, combined with increasing social and environmental pressures, have, and will continue to transform global workforce patterns. 

AI, as the main driver of automation, is expected to be adopted by nearly 75% of companies surveyed, with 50% anticipating job growth and 25% expecting job losses as a result. The fastest-growing job types will be technology-related roles such as AI and machine learning, as well as renewable energy and digital-related positions. Many manual professions will begin to disappear and be replaced by technology. Therefore, educational institutions need to adapt and innovate through their study programs and learning methods. UPH has undertaken various initiatives to prepare young generations who are excellent and competent in various fields, including implementing a center of excellence approach by clustering their study programs into Medicine and Health Sciences, Arts and Entertainment, Engineering and Computing, and Social Sciences. 

“With this clustering approach, UPH encourages collaboration and development within a group of study programs. The aim is to foster interdisciplinary innovations that can bring positive impacts to the respective fields of knowledge. Additionally, we have also established cross-faculty collaborations, such as between the Faculty of Economics and Business and the Faculty of Science and Technology,” said Eric. 

In his presentation, Eric also explained UPH’s achievement in obtaining ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management and ISO 21001:2018 certification for Educational Organization Management System. Eric stated that these achievements solidify UPH’s position as an internationally recognized university and reaffirm UPH’s commitment to maintaining quality and educational standards. 

In addition, Andry mentioned that over the past two years, UPH has sent 36 students to study at top universities worldwide through the Indonesia International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA), one of the programs under the Kampus Merdeka initiative initiated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek). Furthermore, UPH nurtures and develops students’ thinking and creativity skills through competitions and equipping them with soft skills and character development, as well as technology literacy.  

“All of these efforts are aimed at producing highly competent individuals who are ready to compete on the global stage. All our joint efforts have led UPH to achieve the second rank as private universities (PTS) with the most national achievements according to Lembaga Layanan Pendidikan Tinggi (LLDIKTI),” said Andry. 

UNBOX (Y)Our Potential: UPH and Media Synergy to Deliver Quality Education 

During the media gathering event, UPH also invited media partners to collaborate in providing quality education and information to the Indonesian public. Several potential collaborations discussed during the event included: contributing research findings, books, seminars, and public lectures; UPH faculty members serving as media sources; internship programs; and other partnership initiatives.