Higher education transformation is occurring globally. Universities\nare no longer viewed merely as places to obtain academic degrees but as\nprimary engines for generating innovation, developing technology,\nsolving societal problems, and driving knowledge-based economic\ntransformation.<\/p>\n
The recently released UNESCO roadmap \u201cTransforming Higher Education:\nGlobal Collaboration on Visioning and Action\u201d on 12 March 2026\nemphasises that higher education must move towards a new paradigm: more\ninclusive, more collaborative, more relevant to the world of work, and\nmore oriented towards social impact and technological innovation.<\/p>\n
Future universities are required to integrate three main functions\nsimultaneously: education, research, and social innovation. These three\nfunctions must be integrated, no longer standing alone in an ecosystem\nthat not only produces quality graduates but also becomes a driving\nforce for knowledge-based economic development through the utilisation\nof new knowledge, technological innovation, and solutions for\nsociety.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, the direction of this transformation is already\nbeginning to be reflected in the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of\nHigher Education, Science, and Technology (Renstra Kemdiktisaintek\n2025-2029), which positions higher education and research as important\npillars towards Golden Indonesia 2045.<\/p>\n
However, when compared to the current state of higher education in\nIndonesia with the UNESCO global roadmap, several structural gaps still\nrequire serious attention.<\/p>\n
Access to Higher Education and Inclusivity Challenges<\/p>\n
One of the main principles in the UNESCO roadmap is expanding access\nto higher education inclusively. Higher education should not be a\nprivilege for certain groups but an opportunity, even a right, that can\nbe accessed throughout life by all of society to enhance personal\ncapacity.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has undertaken various efforts to expand access through\nscholarship programmes and increasing university capacity. However, the\nhigher education participation rate remains around 32%, below the\npreviously set target of 37.63%. Additionally, access disparities\nbetween regions, particularly between western and eastern Indonesia,\nremain significant.<\/p>\n
In this context, it is important to realise that increasing access to\nhigher education cannot rely solely on public universities (PTN), given\nthe continuously rising demand as the productive-age population grows.\nThis is where the role of Private Universities (PTS) becomes highly\nstrategic and irreplaceable as the backbone of access expansion.<\/p>\n
With a large number of institutions and wide reach, PTS play a real\nrole in accommodating millions of young college-age individuals not\nabsorbed by PTN. Support to ensure the sustainability and quality of PTS\namid current challenges, including declining student numbers, policy\nimbalances, and increasingly tight competition with PTN, must continue\nto be provided through national strategies that ensure Indonesia\u2019s\nhigher education system remains inclusive, diverse, and able to reach\nall layers of society. Without serious strengthening of PTS, efforts to\nincrease higher education participation and maintain national system\ninclusivity will be difficult to achieve.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, in the context of enhancing the diversity of inclusive\nlearning patterns, the concept of lifelong learning still receives\nlittle attention and has not become the main architecture in building\ninclusive access within the national higher education system. Yet, amid\nrapid technological changes, particularly due to the development of\nartificial intelligence and automation, the ability to reskill and\nupskill skills to remain relevant throughout one\u2019s career is becoming\nincreasingly important.<\/p>\n
In the UNESCO Roadmap, future universities no longer serve only\ncollege-age students but become centres for lifelong learning for\nsociety continuously facing technological and workforce changes.<\/p>\n
In this context, vocational higher education, particularly\npolytechnics with more flexible vocational learning models, can play an\nimportant role as a more inclusive and relevant pathway to higher\neducation for community and workforce needs, and can also be developed\ninto lifelong learning platforms through micro-credential programmes,\nindustry training, professional certification, and workforce reskilling\nprogrammes. However, to carry out this role optimally, polytechnics need\nto be strengthened not only in terms of educational capacity but also in\nterms of innovation quality and industry collaboration.<\/p>\n
Graduate Relevance Gap<\/p>\n
The next challenge is the gap between graduate competencies and\nworkforce needs. The Renstra Kemdiktisaintek also acknowledges the\nmismatch between university graduate competencies and business and\nindustry needs. This is evident from the still low absorption rate of\ngraduates in the job market shortly after graduation.<\/p>\n
Yet, in the UNESCO Roadmap, future learning must prioritise\nproblem-based learning and experiential learning, namely learning based\non real projects and industry practical experiences. Interestingly, this\napproach is actually the basic characteristic of vocational higher\neducation.<\/p>\n
Practice-based curricula, industry internships, and project-based\nlearning are models already long implemented in many polytechnics and\nare highly aligned with the future higher education paradigm. This means\nthat, if developed optimally, vocational higher education can become the\nfuture learning model for Indonesian higher education. What still needs\nstrengthening is more systematic integration between education,\nindustry, and technological innovation.<\/p>\n
Research and Innovation Not Yet Optimal<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-in-the-whirlwind-of-global-higher-education-transformation-1774861311", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }