Coordinating Minister For Political, Legal And Security Affairs Mahfud MD: Universities Play An Important Role In Instilling Entrepreneurship In Students Who Want To Become Businesses

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud Md emphasized that universities play an important role in instilling entrepreneurship education in students who want to become entrepreneurs (businesses).

"Universities have an important role in instilling entrepreneurship education. The standards that currently control global business are born from university colleges," Mahfud said in his virtual remarks at the Pahlawan University Graduation Ikatan Tambusai, Riau, quoted from Antara, Saturday, January 6.

Mahfud said that planting entrepreneurship education in students can strengthen the lives of prospective entrepreneurs in running businesses in a positive way.

In addition, entrepreneurship education can also help increase the nation's economic growth and catch up with the nation in producing its own entrepreneurs on a global scale.

He gave the Stanford University an example, the number of graduates who have built their own business has been tough to reach 34 percent, Harvard University 28 percent, and Oxford University 27 percent.

This, he said, could also help potential entrepreneurs understand their rights and obligations when they are about to start businesses and various activities without having to violate the rule of law in Indonesia or worry that their business will stall in the middle of the road.

The Indonesian government is trying to boost entrepreneurial growth as stated through Presidential Regulation Number 2 of 2022 concerning National Entrepreneurship Development in 2021-2024.

"To encourage the growth of our entrepreneurship for three years, 2024 (our entrepreneurial ratio) will reach 3.95 percent of the total population of Indonesia," said Mahfud.

Although it looks too big, Mahfud assesses that the entrepreneurial ratio target is still lower than the neighboring country's achievements. Based on the data he has, currently the Singapore ratio has reached 8.76 percent, Thailand 4.26 percent, and Malaysia 4.74 percent.

To achieve this target, the Government provides support in the form of training programs, access to cheap costs, and assistance for MSMEs.

The government is also implementing a new entrepreneurial growth program and strengthening the competitiveness of MSMEs in the midst of the flow of free markets in the era of globalization and digitization of the business world.

"Along with the improvement of legal instruments and encouraging the development of entrepreneurial businesses in Indonesia, universities are expected to be able to prepare superior human resources (HR), business actors," said Mahfud, who also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Faculty of Heroes, Memutu Tambusai.