Partnering with APERSI, UMM Civil Engineering Prepares Entrepreneurial Graduates

Author : Humas | Friday, September 27, 2024 09:15 WIB

The Civil Engineering Program at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) holds a guest lecture and signs a cooperation agreement with the National Housing and Settlement Developers Association (APERSI) (Photo: Riri Public Relations)

Entrepreneurial skills are essential not only for those studying economics but also for students in other disciplines. Therefore, the Civil Engineering Program at UMM held a guest lecture titled "Nurturing Entrepreneurial Spirit in Students in the Property Sector with the Support of the National Cement Industry to Address the Housing Backlog in Indonesia." The event, held on September 25, featured speakers from academia and the property industry. It also marked the signing of a collaboration between UMM and APERSI.

Junaidi Abdillah, Chairman of APERSI, stated that this cooperation is a strategic step in bridging the academic world and the industry. They aim to ensure that UMM graduates can directly enter the industry with skills that match market demands. In addition, this collaboration also seeks to address Indonesia's housing backlog, especially for low-income communities. Through this partnership, APERSI is committed to supporting education at UMM through various training, internships, and job placements in the property sector.

"We want to ensure that UMM graduates can directly enter the industry with skills that match market needs," he explained.

Furthermore, Junaidi emphasized that APERSI, as an organization of developers for simple houses and landed simple houses, is committed to supporting the government's housing program. Therefore, they want students to participate in this effort by bringing entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ir. Sulianto, MT., Head of the Civil Engineering Program, stated that this guest lecture serves as a forum to raise students' awareness of the importance of entrepreneurship, especially in the rapidly growing property sector in Indonesia. As an institution with excellent accreditation, he hopes that UMM Civil Engineering students can become stakeholders in their environment.

Sulianto also stressed the importance of entrepreneurial spirit for Civil Engineering students in the face of challenges in the national housing industry. "The property sector, especially housing, is one of the fields that continues to grow. Students need to take advantage of this opportunity with the skills they possess, including mapping, controlling, and managing resources," he said.

Similarly, the Dean of UMM's Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Ilyas Massaudin, ST., M.Log., Ph.D., IPM, said that UMM has a strategic role in creating competent human resources in the property field. However, the current challenge in the property sector is the shortage of decent housing, commonly referred to as the housing backlog. Cooperation with the cement industry and housing developers like APERSI is expected to be a solution to overcome this gap.

The guest lecture was also attended by UMM's Vice-Rector IV, Muhammad Salis Yuniardi, M.Psi., Ph.D. He hopes that this collaboration will create significant opportunities for students. With cooperation between academia and industry, UMM's Civil Engineering program can create synergies that enhance student skills and open more job opportunities in the future.

"UMM has developed the Center of Excellence (CoE) flagship program, which provides two months of training for students. This program is designed so that students not only master theory but also gain practical experience in the field," he added. (ri/wil/fajr)

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