From mineral downstreaming to talent downstreaming

Indonesia is at a highly decisive moment. The demographic bonus projected to last until 2045 provides a great opportunity for this nation to leap forward into becoming a developed country.

During that period, the number of people of productive age will be far greater than those of non-productive age. This condition is an asset that not all countries possess.

However, history also shows that a demographic bonus is not a guarantee of success. Many countries have failed to capitalise on it because they were unable to prepare quality human resources.

Instead of becoming an economic strength, the surge in the productive-age population turns into a social burden when jobs, skills and the quality of education do not develop in step with the changing times.

Therefore, the greatest investment Indonesia must make is not merely in physical development, but in the development of its people.

Education, mastery of technology, character building and the ability to adapt must become the main foundations.

This kind of investment may not always produce results in the short term, but its benefits will determine the nation’s course for decades to come.

This view was conveyed by the author at the Open Session for the Admission of New Students of Institut Teknologi Bandung for the 2026/2027 Academic Year before more than 3,000 new students.

In the author’s view, higher education is one of the most important starting points for building the leadership capacity of the younger generation.

A campus does not only produce graduates who master a particular discipline, but also becomes a space for the birth of new ways of thinking, the courage to make decisions, and the ability to face the ever-growing complexity of problems.

In the AI era, change no longer takes place gradually, but exponentially. Jobs considered safe today can change within a matter of years.

The technical skills learned today may be replaced by new technology in a relatively short time. Therefore, the most valuable ability is no longer simply mastering one field of knowledge, but the ability to keep learning, adapting and finding new solutions.

There are three values that the younger generation needs to possess in order to remain relevant amid such change.

The first is distinctive, namely the courage to present new perspectives. The world does not need more people who are only able to repeat what others have already done.

Progress is born precisely from those who are able to see problems from a different angle and offer solutions that have never been thought of before.

The second value is adaptive. Change is the only certainty in the modern era. Therefore, the ability to learn throughout life becomes a far more important asset than merely relying on knowledge acquired in the lecture hall.

Those who are able to adapt will always find room to grow, even as technology continues to change.

The third value is inclusive. Almost no great innovation is born from individual work alone. Discoveries and progress are always the result of collaboration across various disciplines, institutions and different backgrounds.

The ability to work together, to respect diversity of ideas, and to build trust is becoming an increasingly important competence in the future.