Mendiktisaintek highlights crisis of meaning in modern humans at ITS

Surabaya (ANTARA) - The Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Mendiktisaintek), Brian Yuliarto, highlighted the crisis of meaning experienced by modern humans during a sermon at the Special Dawn Study in the Manarul Ilmi Mosque at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), Surabaya, on Saturday. “Sometimes we are too busy chasing achievements that we forget to strengthen our hearts,” said Brian Yuliarto. According to him, congregational dawn prayers are not just routine worship, but also a symbol of discipline and faith strength that is important in building human character. “Knowledge can make someone intelligent. But faith and closeness to Allah are what keep humans honest when they have power,” he stated. He said that nation-building cannot rely solely on intellectual intelligence and mastery of technology, but also requires a spiritual foundation to produce humans with integrity, empathy, and good morals. In front of the ITS academic community and the general public, Brian emphasised that higher education institutions must not only be places to produce academically accomplished graduates, but also humans with social concern and moral steadfastness. According to him, the pressure of global competition and modern life causes many young generations to experience mental fatigue because they lose the meaning of life. The momentum of the first 10 days of Dhu al-Hijjah, he continued, can be utilised to strengthen spirituality through recommended fasting, charity, remembrance, and prayer. “Never underestimate prayer. There are many things in life that cannot be resolved only with logic and hard work,” he said. He quoted the story of Prophet Zakariya who continued to pray gently and full of hope in his old age as an example of human faith in God. For ITS, the study serves as a reminder that the development of science and technology cannot be separated from humanistic values and spirituality in building the nation’s civilisation. “This nation needs people whose hearts are alive,” said Brian.