Jonan and Grab CEO Highlight Campus-Industry Gap, Call for Business Curriculum Reform
Higher education is considered to need to immediately change its learning approach to respond to changing industry needs. The involvement of practitioners, strengthening of non-technical skills, and direct experience of lecturers in the business world are deemed increasingly important amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence or AI.
This emerged at CEO Talks 2026: Shaping the Future of Business Education held by the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga, at Tugu Kunstkring Paleis, Menteng, Jakarta.
Two business figures who attended, Ignasius Jonan and Grab Indonesia CEO Neneng Goenadi, both highlighted the persistent gap between the education provided by universities and the competencies required by the world of work.
Jonan assessed that one change that needs to be made is to increase the involvement of practitioners in the education process. According to him, at least one third of teaching staff in higher education, especially in postgraduate programmes, should come from practitioners relevant to industry needs.
Practitioners, Jonan said, can be involved as lecturers in charge of core courses as well as teaching assistants. Their presence is considered important so that students not only acquire theory but also understand the real problems faced by the business world.
Jonan also highlighted the welfare aspect of education personnel. According to him, universities cannot build sustainable education quality if the welfare of the people who run educational institutions is still neglected.
“An excellent education system cannot run without proper welfare for its managers. If income and compensation are not supportive, the targeted quality is impossible to achieve,” Jonan said.
He compared this management with practices at global education institutions such as London Business School, which he said places the quality of human resources as one of the main foundations of education.
Meanwhile, Grab Indonesia CEO Neneng Goenadi assessed that the challenges for higher education are becoming greater along with the widespread use of AI. According to Neneng, access to theory and formal knowledge is now increasingly easy. Students can utilise various AI-based technologies to obtain information or learn academic concepts in a short time.
This condition means universities need to shift the focus of education towards capabilities that are not easily replaced by technology.
“This transformation is very urgent. Theory can now be learned from anywhere using AI, but soft skills and practical experience cannot be replaced,” Neneng said.
She mentioned that interpersonal skills, critical thinking, adaptability, communication, and solving real problems will be important differentiators for graduates when entering the job market.
Therefore, Neneng assessed that internship programmes are not enough if only provided to students. Universities also need to open space for lecturers to gain direct experience in companies through a faculty immersion scheme.
“In addition to quality student internship programmes, lecturers also need to be directly involved as part of company dynamics so that they have a more open mindset towards the real needs of industry,” Neneng said.
According to her, this experience can help lecturers understand how technology, work patterns, competency needs, and business models change rapidly.