Yogyakarta State University (UNY) has officially inaugurated Prof. Ali Muhson, M.Pd., as a Professor in the field of Economic Learning Assessment. The inauguration ceremony took place on Tuesday, September 24, 2025, at the UNY Rectorate General Assembly Hall, attended by university leaders, academics, and invited guests.

In his inaugural speech titled “Authentic Assessment in Economics Learning: Bridging Theory, Practice, and Life Values”, Prof. Ali highlighted the paradox often found in economics classrooms. Students may excel at multiple-choice tests but struggle to connect concepts such as inflation to everyday realities, like fluctuations in basic commodity prices. He emphasized that authentic assessment serves as a vital bridge between theory, practice, and life values.

Prof. Ali stressed that authentic assessment is not merely an alternative method but an essential approach to evaluating how students understand, experience, and apply knowledge in real-life contexts. This approach, he argued, fosters learners who think critically, act creatively, and are better prepared to respond to pressing challenges such as unemployment, inequality, and global competitiveness.

Furthermore, he pointed out that Indonesia’s education system still faces serious challenges. Referring to the 2022 PISA results, he underlined that national education performance remains far from the 2024 RPJMN target. For this reason, he called for a paradigm shift toward authentic assessment that is meaningful, transformative, and capable of improving the quality of human resources.

Prof. Ali also underscored the importance of integrating technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to support authentic assessment. The use of AI, he explained, enables more creative and reflective evaluation designs while minimizing academic misconduct. With such integration, graduates will not only be work-ready but also capable of making meaningful contributions to society.

The inauguration of Prof. Ali Muhson reaffirms UNY’s commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). By promoting authentic assessment, economics education is expected to produce graduates who are not only academically competent but also ethical, adaptive, and prepared to face real-world challenges with a strong sense of responsibility. (fdhl)