(FEB NEWS) The Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Airlangga (FEB UNAIR) officially established a strategic partnership with the East Java Provincial Executive Board of the Indonesian Employers Association (DPP APINDO) through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) in conjunction with the MSME Graduation Internship Program. This initiative serves as a crucial momentum in strengthening the synergy between the academic and business worlds to support MSME development and enhance student competency.
The MoA signing was carried out by the Dean of FEB UNAIR, Prof. Dr. Rudi Purwono, along with the Chairman of the DPP APINDO East Java, Mr. Drs. Eddy Widjanarko, M.MT, and witnessed by the leadership of FEB UNAIR and the management of DPP APINDO East Java. This collaboration affirms the commitment of both parties to build a structured, applicable, and sustainable collaboration.
In his remarks, Mr. Raka Bagus Winaya, as the Coordinator of the APINDO UMKM Merdeka East Java Program and Deputy Chair of the UMKM Division of the DPP APINDO East Java, expressed his appreciation to FEB UNAIR for the support provided in the implementation of the APINDO UMKM Merdeka Program. He explained that this program is designed as a real learning space for students as well as strategic mentoring for APINDO-assisted MSMEs. Through the internship program, students are directly involved in various aspects of business development, from production management, branding, licensing, to strengthening human resources, thus providing mutual benefits for both students and MSMEs.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the East Java DPP APINDO, Mr. Drs. Eddy Widjanarko, M.MT, emphasized that APINDO has a mandate to encourage the creation of a healthy, equitable, and sustainable business climate. According to him, the MSME sector is an important foundation of the economy that needs to be continuously strengthened through cross-sector collaboration, including with universities. He hopes that the collaboration with FEB UNAIR can continue and be developed in various strategic programs, such as strengthening student internships, involving practicing lecturers, and developing entrepreneurship among the younger generation.
From FEB UNAIR, Prof. Dr. Rudi Purwono emphasized that the signing of the MoA was not merely a ceremonial activity, but a real commitment to bridging the academic and business worlds. The MSME internship program is designed based on problem-solving, so that students not only learn theoretically, but also contribute directly to solving real problems faced by MSMEs. According to him, internships at MSMEs are a strategic learning space to build critical thinking competencies, analytical skills, and readiness to face the challenges of the world of work and entrepreneurship.
The series of activities then continued with a follow-up discussion on the MoA, which explored various opportunities for future collaboration, including collaboration between practicing lecturers, entrepreneurship development, student internship programs, summer schools, and various other forms of sustainable cooperation. This discussion served as the initial step in formulating collaborative programs with long-term impacts for students, MSMEs, and both institutions.
In closing, a field visit was conducted to directly assess the potential for further collaboration development. This activity was facilitated by the Vice Dean I of FEB UNAIR, Prof. Dr. Tika Widiastuti, SE., MSi., and staff, as part of an effort to ensure that the implementation of the collaboration aligns with the needs and challenges on the ground.
Through this collaboration, the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) Universitas Airlangga and the East Java Regional Apparatus Organization (APINDO) affirm their commitment to providing education relevant to the needs of the business world while simultaneously encouraging the strengthening of competitive and sustainable MSMEs. The synergy between universities, business associations, and MSMEs is expected to create a mutually reinforcing learning and entrepreneurship ecosystem, as well as making a tangible contribution to economic development and improving the quality of human resources.