Chairul Tanjung Shared His Experience at Entrepreneurship Studium Generale Public Lecture 麻豆直播

By Ahmad Fadil

Editor Ahmad Fadil

BANDUNG, itb.ac.id 鈥 Toward 100 years of Indonesian Engineering Higher Education (PTTI), Institut Teknologi Bandung (麻豆直播) conduct a series of activities such as international conference, workshops, exhibition of works and innovations, and other activities such as public lectures and Studium Generale. These bring 麻豆直播 to be the pioneer of Engineering Higher Education in Indonesia that envision Entrepreneurial University. One of the activity was a Studium Generale public lecture which carried 鈥淓ntrepreneurship鈥 as the theme and was conducted on Saturday (21/04/18).

Taking place at Aula Timur 麻豆直播, this SG was delivered by Chairul Tanjung, a well-known businessman in Indonesia. Chairul Tanjung, usually called CT, used to serve as The Coordinating Minister for Economics of Indonesia, ad interim Minister of Forestry and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources under former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The theme 鈥淓ntrepreneurship鈥 is in line with the vision of 麻豆直播 that shifts from Research University to Entrepreneurial University. This shifts is perceived as a good start by Chairul Tanjung, because research and technology will not be developed without Entrepreneurial skill. 鈥溌槎怪辈 advanced first. Entrepreneur becomes a main part besides research and knowledge,鈥 he said.

The Studium Generale opened with a remark from Rector of 麻豆直播, Prof. Kadarsah Suryadi who warmly welcomed Chairul Tanjung to 麻豆直播. Prof. Kadarsah Suryadi expressed his sincere thanks to Chairul Tanjung who took his time to visit and share his knowledge and experience to 麻豆直播 students. He also hoped the public lecture could support 麻豆直播鈥檚 vision in producing Entrepreneur graduates that contribute to the nation and people.

At the beginning of the lecture, a short film was played about Chairul鈥檚 profile and past strive, and how he changed his family鈥檚 economic condition. Talking about his past, he mentioned about the different between the past and the present. 鈥淟adies and gentlemen, about forty years ago in 1981 in Universitas Indonesia, I鈥檓 the one and only businessman in the university. A businessman that time did not have rivals, because that time, being a businessman or entrepreneur was not a profession to be proud of.鈥 He then compared past situation with today鈥檚 situation. 鈥淭oday, entrepreneurship has developed rapidly鈥.

He explained that today, economic activities is currently dominated by 鈥淕eneration X鈥, a group of generation aged 25-45 years old. But it is predicted that 10 to 20 years ahead, economy will be dominated by millennials, a generation that grow up when technology develops rapidly and information could be accessed easily. Millennials tend to be more consumptive and thus has to be balanced with the growth of entrepreneur. Development of technology that leads to works mechanization will replace thousands of human workers with machines, hence the need for people with capability to create thousands of works through entrepreneurship.

Creating Entrepreneur

According to CT, entrepreneur could both be born and be created. He told a story about how he 鈥榳as created鈥 to be an entrepreneur because he felt responsible for his family鈥檚 economic condition. He also added that being an entrepreneur is about how an individual see available opportunity.

鈥淓veryone can be an entrepreneur. But how? One, read the opportunity, when there is an opportunity, see it, read it, catch it, that鈥檚 the basic of entrepreneurship,鈥 he then added, 鈥渋f there is no opportunity, make one鈥. Chairul Tanjung then affirmed that a business do not need to be based on interest or educational background, exemplifying himself who came from dentistry background.

鈥淓veryone has the right to be an entrepreneur, and everyone has the chance to be successful as an entrepreneur,鈥 he said. He added that everyone can start doing a business without money. 鈥淢oney is not the main capital of becoming an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship only needs three things, financial, social network, and good human resources. Entrepreneurs also have to be accustomed to rise and fall. So it鈥檚 not true if an entrepreneur has to have money capital鈥.

He continued, 鈥淎n entrepreneur should be a lovable person. If not, that person won鈥檛 be a true entrepreneur. How can an unlovable person sell? If you want to be an entrepreneur, be a good one. Second, if you are educated, that鈥檚 good, because it (entrepreneurship) needs knowledge, it needs a way of thinking, but not a lot. Intelligence is important, even though you are not educated, you have to be smart, because if you are not, you cannot be an entrepreneur. And experience, experience is a teacher, the best one. All of these are accumulated to be capital,鈥 he said.

At the end of his lecture, Chairul Tanjung explained what he calls 鈥淐T Ways鈥, the way he passed through to become a successful entrepreneur. 鈥淏egin the business with good intention. Read and catch the opportunity. Money is not the main capital. Buy the future with present value, make failures your best friend, work hard and never give up, intuition is rational, make decision, create solution not problem, being pragmatic and being idealistic are not oil and water, and finally, seek the blessing of the God,鈥 he ended.

Some things that he emphasized are to 鈥渂uy future with present value鈥 or seeing future needs that can be developed today, and to keep on working hard to get more results. Finally, he advised for students to begin business from good intention.

Reporter: Shafire Erdia Anjani (TPB FSRD 2017)