The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at Universitas YARSI conducted a crucial guest lecture on Human Resource Development on Monday, December 22, 2025, featuring Ika Tri Widyastuti (Ibu Ika), Head of Human Resources Development Department at PT. Akebono Brake Astra Indonesia, as the guest speaker. This initiative was driven by the urgent need to bridge the gap between academic learning and workplace realities, particularly addressing the challenge of high graduate unemployment in Indonesia caused by insufficient growth in the manufacturing industry and misalignment between educational outputs and industry needs. Attended by faculty members, educational staff, and FEB students, the lecture provided comprehensive insights into contemporary HR development practices, the scope of work in HRD divisions, and best practices from Akebono Astra. Ibu Ika, an alumna of Psychology from Universitas Gadjah Mada with 16 years of experience across four different positions within the Astra Group, emphasized that regardless of educational background, success in the workforce prioritizes attitude, which enhances career opportunities, self-confidence, and quality of life. She urged students to avoid becoming “Kupu-kupu students” (butterfly students who only go from home to campus and back without engaging in additional activities), advocating instead for active participation in organizations, part-time work, mastery of foreign languages beyond English (such as Mandarin, German, Arabic, or Korean), and development of creative skills. She stressed that students must overcome personal barriers like shyness and fear of trying new things, seize every opportunity, balance academic shortcomings with other achievements in arts, sports, or public speaking, and prepare themselves not merely as job seekers but as creative entrepreneurs and skilled professionals capable of generating income independently in an era increasingly shaped by AI and technological advancement.
This guest lecture directly supports Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education, which aims to substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship by 2030. By exposing students to real-world HR practices, industry expectations, and career development strategies from a leading international company, the lecture enhances the relevance and quality of higher education, ensuring graduates possess not only theoretical knowledge but also practical competencies and professional attitudes required by employers. The emphasis on developing multiple skills, foreign language proficiency, organizational experience, and entrepreneurial mindset aligns with SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, which promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. Ibu Ika’s advocacy for students to become creative industry professionals and entrepreneurs rather than solely job seekers addresses the structural employment challenges in Indonesia, supporting economic diversification and innovation-driven growth. Furthermore, the lecture supports SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals by strengthening university-industry collaboration, with Ibu Ika serving as a practitioner-lecturer who bridges academic institutions and the corporate sector, facilitating knowledge transfer and preparing students for global workforce demands. As noted by Alyta Shabrina Zusrin, SP., M.Sc., Head of the Management Study Program at FEB Universitas YARSI, this initiative inspires students to learn from best practices and prepare themselves to enter the workforce, particularly in global companies, ultimately contributing to building Indonesia’s competitive human capital necessary for achieving the nation’s sustainable development objectives and the Indonesia Emas 2045 vision.
