Millennial Power for A Better Indonesia
By: Angelique Chrysanti
(BINUSIAN 2024)
Forbes Indonesia held Forbes Indonesia’s 30 under 30 Class 2021 Awarding Event to celebrate Indonesia’s Young Achievers and Game Changers, where people under the age of 30 will be given an award, on Friday, 9 April 2021 at Hutan Kota by Plataran.
The event began with a welcoming speech from Roger Finnie, CEO of Forbes Indonesia. Even though he could not join the event on-site, Roger congratulated all awardees and said that Indonesia has the potential to be the second-largest economy by the end of this decade, as 64% of Indonesia’s population is millennials.
Afterward, the event continued with teatime with three speakers which focus on the importance of digital technology from the finance technology (fintech) industry and education sector. Forbes Indonesia senior writer, Elisa Valenta, accompanied the talk as the moderator.
Teatime session with three panelists (left to right): Gatot Soepriyanto, Anbita Nadine Siregar, Anderson Sumarli, Elisa Valenta
The first speaker is Anderson Sumarli (26), Co-Founder and CEO of Ajaib Group, an Indonesian securities company. Anderson said that currently, fintech in Indonesia is mostly used for consumption. He believed that fintech has the potential to teach people how to do financial planning better. When Anderson is asked on how Ajaib will be able to maintain its position as one of the best securities in Indonesia, he said that securities companies are not competing with each other, but strengthening each other.
“94% of Ajaib users have no experience in investing. Therefore, we are not competing with one another but working together on how to build Indonesia’s capital market. And the key is to provide education to the society,” answered Anderson.
From the education sector, Forbes has invited Anbita Nadine Siregar, Founder of Generation Girl, a non-profit organization aimed at introducing young girls to the STEM field, to share her experience in empowering society. Nadine realized how fast technology grows rapidly and she wants young girls to have digital technology skills.
“Technology is not only for us, but it exists in all sectors. And digital technology is a skill that everyone needs now or in the near future,” said Nadine.
Forbes also invited Gatot Soepriyanto, Dean Faculty of Economics and Communication at BINUS International, to share his experience on how BINUS adapts given the rapid technology development. He shared that BINUS University is originally famous for its IT program, thus BINUS often uses digital tools for learning which allows students to get used to technology. Secondly, BINUS offered students one year to have a chance for internship, community service, and study exchange. Furthermore, BINUS International provides opportunities for students to expand their network with its double degree program which students could study abroad with partner universities outside Indonesia.
Despite the importance of students being able to have digital talent, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way students learn. Forbes asked if students are having difficulty in using technology for learning. He explained that students in this era have the advantage of having been born in the digital age, which allows them to adapt faster compared to the older generations. The challenge faced by lecturers is to guide students on how to use technology wisely.
“Lecturers have the role to teach students how they can be responsible for themselves and to open their eyes to knowledge and technology. We need to guide them to use technology for kindness,” explained Gatot.
After the inspiring teatime session, Forbes continued to the awarding session where the chosen participants will be given awards from different categories: Art, Entertainment and Sport; Entrepreneurs; Investment and Finance; Retail and Consumer; Social Entrepreneur, Philanthropy, and Activism.
The Forbes 30 under 30 awarding event went well as all participants enjoyed taking photos together with one another. It was a very inspiring event, as it proves that age is not a barrier for someone to achieve success. It is hoped that Forbes 30 under 30 event could inspire other young Indonesian generations and push Indonesia to grow better in the future.
(ANGELIQUE)
Sources:
Forbes Indonesia. (2021). 30 Under 30 Class 2021 Awarding Event. Forbes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uM27wCg2X0&t=3033s
