FEB UNY and FEB Universitas Baturaja Hold National Seminar on “Gen Z and Creative Economy: How to Build a Career from Passion and Innovation”
Submitted by feb on Thu, 30/10/2025 - 16:12
The Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (FEB UNY), in collaboration with the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Baturaja (UNBARA), organized a National Seminar themed “Gen Z and Creative Economy: How to Build a Career from Passion and Innovation.” The seminar was held at the FEB UNY Auditorium and attended by Dr. Mardiah Kenamon, Dean of FEB UNBARA, along with 140 lecturers and students from both institutions. From FEB UNY, Dr. Denies Priantinah, M.Si., Ak., Vice Dean for Research, Collaboration, Information Systems, and Business Affairs (RKSIU), attended the event, accompanied by faculty members and students.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Mardiah Kenamon highlighted that this seminar marked a concrete step in strengthening academic collaboration between the two faculties. “This is an implementation and follow-up of our academic partnership. Hopefully, it will continue and be realized through other collaborative activities,” she said. Meanwhile, Dr. Denies Priantinah emphasized the relevance of the seminar’s theme, stating, “Gen Z is known as a creative generation. I disagree with the label that they are weak or the ‘strawberry generation.’ They are strong, adaptable, and resilient. You don’t just chase opportunities—you create them.”
The seminar featured two keynote speakers: Dr. (cand.) M. Agus Kurniawan, M.Si. from Universitas Baturaja and Dr. Endra Murti Sagoro, M.Sc. from FEB UNY, moderated by Dr. Agatha Saputri, M.Pd., Head of the Public Relations and International Affairs Division of FEB UNY. Through an engaging discussion, both speakers elaborated on how young people can build meaningful careers in the creative economy by combining passion, innovation, and adaptability.
In his presentation, Dr. (cand.) M. Agus Kurniawan outlined the enormous potential of Indonesia’s creative economy, which contributes 7.44% to the national GDP, valued at IDR 1,211 trillion, and employs more than 19 million workers. He explained that around 35% of Indonesia’s unemployed population are aged 15–24, predominantly Gen Z, reflecting a significant skills mismatch. However, he emphasized that mastering future-oriented skills—such as AI literacy, data analytics, digital marketing, and creative problem-solving—can enable Gen Z to transform these challenges into opportunities within Indonesia’s rapidly expanding digital and creative industries.
Meanwhile, Dr. Endra Murti Sagoro discussed how Gen Z can turn passion into profession through the Ikigai model—aligning what one loves, what one is good at, what the world needs, and what one can be paid for. He encouraged students to develop personal branding, embrace collaboration, and leverage technology as a tool for innovation. “Be the CEO of your own name. The world doesn’t need more workers—it needs more creators,” he said. He also shared inspiring examples of young Indonesian innovators, such as Jerome Polin, Nadiem Makarim, and Nikita Kusuma, who have successfully built their careers by combining creativity with consistency.
Beyond inspiring students to pursue purpose-driven careers, this seminar strengthened academic collaboration between FEB UNY and FEB UNBARA in fostering globally competitive and creative human resources. The event supports several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably Goal 4: Quality Education through career and creativity literacy, Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth by promoting innovation-based employability, as well as Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals through inter-university collaboration in developing adaptive education aligned with the creative and digital economy.
(fdhl)

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