Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Encourages Vocational Education Relevant to Industry
Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Pratikno is promoting the principle of link, match, and meaning in vocational education. This principle encompasses connections with industry, alignment with workforce needs, and real impacts on society. The goal is to make vocational-industry collaborations relevant to labour market demands and beneficial for the community.
This was stated at the Third Annual Conference of the China-Indonesia TVET Industry-Education Alliance (CITIEA) 2026, held at the Innovation and Creativity Hall, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, on Monday, 27 April 2026. “But it should also be able to create new job opportunities and benefits for society. This is what we need to promote: link, match, and meaning,” he said in an official statement on Tuesday, 28 April 2026.
Pratikno appreciated the strengthening of cooperation between Indonesia and China in vocational and industrial fields as a strategic step in preparing superior human resources capable of addressing global disruptions. He emphasised that collaboration between vocational education institutions and industry, both domestically and with international partners, is key to enhancing the relevance of workforce skills to the evolving world of work.
He also highlighted various global disruptions being faced, from digital technology and artificial intelligence developments, climate change, to geopolitical dynamics. According to him, these conditions must be viewed as opportunities to drive stronger innovation and collaboration between education and industry.
“Technological disruptions, climate change, and geopolitics must be seen not only as challenges, but as opportunities for higher education institutions to work with industry to find solutions to the problems faced by society,” he said.
In the agricultural sector, for example, innovation is greatly needed to maintain productivity amid uncertain climate change. Additionally, the utilisation of digital technology and artificial intelligence should be directed towards improving societal welfare, including assisting farmers and fishermen, as well as expanding access to education services in remote areas.
On that occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between state polytechnics in Indonesia and China to strengthen collaboration in education, research, and academic development. This cooperation includes the exchange of lecturers and students, joint research, the organisation of scientific activities, as well as academic and cultural programmes to enhance human resource capacity.
Attendees at the event included Special Staff of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek) Oki Earlivan Sampurno, Chinese diplomatic representative in Indonesia Chen Wu, Rector of Gadjah Mada University Ova Emilia, Director of Indonesian Polytechnics Ahyar Muhammad Diah, Chair of CITIEA Qiu Fuming, President Director of Liugong Machinery Indonesia Levi Lin, and Foreign Minister from 2001-2009 Hasan Wirajuda.