Leadership and Career Preparation Training for Students of International Program UII

One of the crucial qualities that men should have to survive in the professional world is leadership. This soft skill will help somebody face challenges and opportunities in building his or her career in the future. One needs to learn leadership as the skill is not naturally ingrained but achieved through learning and series of training. It is not a discrete or isolated quality of men but an integrated skill derived from the combination of real experiences and theories.

To equip students with skills and values to be “innovative global leaders” in the future, Global Leadership Program, Office of International Affairs (OIA) UII conducted the last series of leadership training for students of International Program batch 2015 namely Latihan Kepemimpinan Islam Lanjut (LKIL). The training took place on September 15, 2018, at Aula Utara hall, Faculty of Economics UII. The speakers of the training are M. Riza Perdana Kusuma (Chief Executive of PT. Indonesia Ferry Property), and Ifdhal Kasim (Former chairman of Komnas HAM); both speakers are alumni of the Faculty of Economics and Faculty of Law respectively. The training started with the opening ceremony and remark from Director of OIA, Hangga Fathana, M.A., and then continued to the first session with the topic “Innovative Leadership for Better Indonesia” presented by M.Riza Perdana Kusuma. In his presentation, Riza shared with the students many interesting and inspiring stories which mostly were his experiences working in major Indonesian enterprises, e.g., Garuda Indonesia and Angkasa Pura. He advised the audience to develop creativity and innovation through reading and to maintain integrity in accordance with Islamic values. The second speaker of the training, Ifdhal Kasim, discussed “Leading with compassion and Integrity.” Similar to Riza, Ifdhal also shared his valuable experiences when he was studying in UII. He also talked about his stories as a lawyer. During their presentation, both speakers invited the audience to participate in group discussion and in Q&A session.

Besides LKIL, Global Leadership Program also held Bridging Your Career (BYC), an additional training for the students of International Program UII on September 16, 2018. BYC aims to prepare the students with information and knowledge about the professional world or career path they might choose after graduation. The speakers invited in this occasion are from various background: they are Ellya Kumala Sari, Zulfikar Benarsyad, and Lutfi Hakim (Founder of Bunk,Bed & Breakfas); Rinda Pritadernas Raharjo (Marketing Manager Pertamina Lubricants Thailand); Muhammad Saifullah (Fulbright Awardee); and Imam Subchan (Senior Consultant). This one-day training provided opportunities for the students to interact with the alumni and to learn opportunities and challenges they might face in particular professional setting. All the speakers agreed upon one thing that the students need to be active during their study in UII by getting involved in student organizations or communities to practice public speaking and teamwork—the essential qualities required to be professionals, entrepreneurs, or academicians. During all the presentations, the audience seemed enthusiastic and participated in all Q&A sessions. Sometimes, the speakers gave merchandises for participants who raised a question.

LKIL and BYC are the last character building programs for the students of International Program UII. After joining these programs, the students are expected to be more optimistic and more prepared to start their chosen careers. The two-day-training was officially closed by Vice Rector IV, Wiryono Raharjo, Ph.D. In his closing speech, Wiryono urged the students to utilize available opportunities and always be ready to adjust in different working circumstances. Wiryono added, “at the end, all of you should be proud of becoming part of this university.”