PDIP's Red Talks: UB Academic Calls for Education System Reform to Prioritise Empathy

An academic from the Faculty of Economics and Business at Brawijaya University (FEB UB) has called for a reorientation of the national education system to place empathy at its core. Dr. Silvi Asna Prestianawati argued that the failure of systems to accommodate the real needs of young people often stems from a lack of empathy among decision-makers. Speaking at the Red Talks 2026 forum in Malang, she stated, “Whoever is in this room, the first thing that must be done is to cultivate empathy. With this empathy, a system will be formed without reasons that only benefit certain groups.”

Dr. Silvi noted that without a strong foundation of empathy, the younger generation is vulnerable to aggressive consumerism. She referenced Bank Indonesia data showing a high volume of payment transactions dominated by lifestyle fulfilment through digital platforms like TikTok. She encouraged students to seek knowledge and experience abroad but to return with a mission of care for their homeland. “It is very important to change the education system by prioritising empathy first. Even though I am an institutional economics lecturer, I always direct my students to go abroad to seek knowledge and earn money. But after you are satisfied, come back to Indonesia. Whatever you can do, contribute to the smallest part,” she explained.

The forum also heard from Aryo Bimo Soebagio, a representative of the Greater Malang Student Executive Board (BEM), who voiced the bitter reality of the gap between income and living costs, including the difficulty of affording primary needs like housing. The Red Talks 2026 event, organised by the East Java PDIP in collaboration with detikcom, featured two sessions. The first discussed youth scepticism towards political institutions, while the second focused on the readiness of Gen Z and millennials to face digital disruption and the importance of pro-youth government policies.