Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Urges Universities to Produce Impactful Content
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) is urging universities to produce content that is easily understood by the public to generate a positive impact on institutional reputation.
“Regarding social media content formats, universities should no longer present excessive information about formal activities, but should instead highlight inspiring stories about students and alumni,” stated Doddy Zulkifli Indra Atmaja, Head of Public Relations and Protocol at Kemdiktisaintek. He spoke during a webinar titled ‘Impactful Public Relations: Presenting Positive, Educating, and Inspiring Content in the Digital Era’, hosted by the Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatra (UMSU) in Medan on Saturday.
He explained a paradigm shift within the Ministry’s public relations approach regarding social media presence. Public relations departments can also feature testimonials from beneficiaries of university activities, such as the results of research and innovation, as well as the practical benefits of implemented programmes.
To ensure university social media content attracts the attention of the public, particularly prospective new students, he noted that institutions must follow current trends and use formats appropriate for each specific platform. “Prospective students seek a great deal of information on social media. Therefore, social media must be transformed into a medium for interaction. The proportion of ceremonial content should be reduced in favour of showcasing student life, live broadcasts, and content that makes the audience feel a sense of connection to the campus,” he said.
“To build an image, public relations should no longer focus solely on the quantity of content produced; rather, the message, perception, and impact must be effectively conveyed,” added Doddy.
He encouraged university PR teams to utilise trending content formats, such as short 30-60 second videos that are educational and light-hearted, featuring alumni success stories through storytelling techniques and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in content production. He also emphasised the importance of improving official university websites, optimising TikTok platforms, and strengthening collaborations with industry, local governments, and other universities to expand the reach of institutional communication.
“Public relations is directly linked to an institution’s reputation in the eyes of the public. Communication must be two-way and sustainable to maintain public trust, build long-term perceptions, and strengthen relationships with stakeholders,” he stated.
UMSU Rector Akrim noted that the role of public relations is becoming increasingly vital in delivering positive information to the community. Consequently, he encouraged all PR teams within UMSU to continuously enhance their creativity in content production. “The role of PR in the future is highly important and urgent for delivering positive content. It is hoped that from this webinar, the content produced will be more positive and creative through collaboration between faculties and institutions,” he said.
The Head of the UMSU Public Relations Bureau, Ribut Priadi, stated that the webinar provided significant new insights for the development of public relations within UMSU. “Many insights were gained to make UMSU’s public relations more impactful. We thank LLDikti for supporting the Content Creator Fest activities and for their ongoing collaboration with UMSU,” he concluded.