The Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Airlangga (FEB UNAIR) has played a role for more than 60 years in developing Indonesia's human resources. With various achievements in the fields of education, research and community service, FEB UNAIR is now on a par with leading institutions at national and regional levels. Since its founding in the early 1960s as the Faculty of Economics (FE UA), this faculty has grown rapidly from initially only having two departments, General Economics and Corporate Economics, to introducing the Accounting Department in 1963.
In 1975, FEB UNAIR established a non-degree Corporate Administration Expert Education (PAAP) program in response to the need for skilled personnel in the field of accounting. This program then expanded with the addition of Taxation and Marketing Management majors in the 1980s, as well as a Parallel D3 with majors such as Banking Management and Hotel Management in 1995. The faculty also began offering extension programs in 1993, which allowed students to work while completing their undergraduate education at majoring in Accounting and Management.
FEB UNAIR continues to adapt to changes in the education system, including the switch to the Semester Credit System (SKS) in the late 1970s which provides flexibility for students in completing their studies. In the late 1990s, FEB UNAIR began providing modern facilities such as computer laboratories and internet access to support the teaching and learning process. The Business Education Center Building was also built in 2001 to support relations between academia and industry.
In terms of infrastructure, FEB UNAIR started lectures in several locations such as the Bahari Building and the BPN Building before finally moving to a new building on Jalan Airlangga in 1967. In the 1980s, the entire building belonged to FEB after the Faculty of Law moved, and this building continues to experience repairs to maintain its historical value.
FEB UNAIR is now known as one of the leading economic education institutions in Indonesia with departments accredited A. This faculty continues to improve the quality of education, strengthen relations with the industrial world, and prepare its graduates to face global challenges.
In an industrial context, the world is currently shifting to a knowledge-based economy, where technology and knowledge are the main drivers of productivity. Sustainable development is the main focus of global policy with the aim of maintaining a balance between human resource development, environmental conservation and natural resource management.
Major changes in the employment sector are also occurring with the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, which are influencing the labor market and creating new demands for professionals to be more flexible and resilient. Flexible work models such as the gig economy and sharing economy are increasingly popular, providing new opportunities for professionals to work in more dynamic ways.
In the education sector, the trend towards lifelong learning is gaining strength, where individuals can continue learning through degree, non-degree, online and offline programs. FEB UNAIR responded to this change by personalizing educational programs and strengthening internationalization to ensure its graduates are ready to compete on the global stage.
