Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Economics and Business

In today's digital era, students should not only explore the topic of information technology (IT), but the topic of human development discussion, which has now also become very relevant and interesting to discuss. As part of the virtual summer program held by the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), namely International Week (iWeek) 2021, on Wednesday (28/07), the topic was discussed further in an interactive case study session. In practice, the interactive case study session was brought on by a professional speaker with expertise in related topics, namely Syaiful Ali, MIS., Ph.D., CA, as a lecturer in the Accounting Department of FEB UGM.

The session began with a presentation by Syaiful Ali which outlined the future of career prospects, information technology trends, and digital transformation. According to a report from McKinsey and Company, there are several trends that will define the next normal era (post Covid-19 pandemic) and three points of which are the background for the topics discussed on that occasion, which are society and consumers, work habits, and technological innovation. Regarding the future of jobs, Syaiful Ali said that the pace of technological adoption is expected to accelerate and possibly heighten further. “Automation, in tandem with the post-Covid-19 recession, is creating a double disruption scenario for workers," he said. There is a growing trend that today's business processes will highly involve the use of more IT. So, how can we address these challenges?

To be able to overcome these challenges, we need to understand several key factors related to technology that support the sustainability of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution. According to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), there are nine key technologies that support the 4.0 Industry, some of which are big data, cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. The technology mentioned is also a crucial knowledge and IT-related expertise to be aware of, especially for business people in the future. Students can start studying and then mastering the skills of these key technologies so that they can survive and acquire relevance to face the digital transformation era.

In addition, in his presentation, Syaiful Ali also argued that in order for someone to maintain skills which are relevant in the future, it is not enough to merely master a number of important IT skills. Soft skills are also very much needed. The following is a prediction of the top six soft skills in 2025 that students should master:

1. Thinking analytically and critically
2. Active and strategic learning
3. Complex problem-solving
4. Leadership and capability of working with others
5. Creativity, originality, and initiative
6. Self management

At the end of the session, iWeek 2021 participants who had previously been divided into several groups were required to answer a number of case questions related to the topic, which proceeded with a discussion of answers to the case study questions. In turn, each group voiced their opinion. The discussion ended with a question and answer session between participants and the speaker.

Reportage: Kirana Lalita Pristy.

See more https://youtu.be/SxJCeJ1BWl0