Ramadan on Campus: Sudirman Said Says Campuses Play an Important Role in Building the Next Generation
Ramadan on Campus series featured Sudirman Said, founder of Mental Hub Indonesia and psychiatrist Elvine Gunawan, in a discussion on “Facing the Crisis of Mental Toughness: Building Mental Resilience in the Workplace” at the Aula Kampus Mataram, Universitas Harkat Negeri (UHN) Tegal, Central Java.
Sudirman Said said: “Campuses are not only places for transferring knowledge. We want this campus to become a space to strengthen spirit, motivation, creativity, and sportsmanship among students.” He added that literacy, supported by interaction and competition, will pave the way for a nation’’s progress. “Interaction creates inspiration and fuels creativity, while competition drives innovation and trains sportsmanship,” he said. He is the former Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).
Elvine Gunawan emphasised that mental toughness is a crucial skill for entering the job market. Mental health is not just the absence of psychological disorders, but the ability to recognise one’‘s potential, manage life’‘s pressures, work productively, and contribute to one’’s community.
“Simply, mental health is the ability to recognise your potential, cope with life’’s pressures, work productively, and contribute to your community,” Elvine explained.
Elvine noted that life pressures or stress are natural; our brain is designed by God to find ways out. We need to live with a normal level of stress. “Stress is not always bad; it can be an adaptive mechanism that helps us endure and grow,” she added.
She also explained that in the face of pressure, humans go through adaptation, which determines whether someone can grow or struggle. In the workplace, having coping mechanisms is a key to staying productive and maintaining mental health. “Humans too often view relationships with God in a too transactional way… But humans are created to endure, including through working and striving,” she said.
She noted that resilience begins very early in life — even in the womb. “Therefore, if a country wants to improve the quality of its human resources, the best investment is in pregnant mothers by providing good facilities and support,” she concluded.
This event was attended by the academic community of Universitas Harkat Negeri, students from various universities, and the general public interested in mental health issues.
Through the Ramadan on Campus programme, Universitas Harkat Negeri hopes to provide a space for dialogue that enriches public insights and builds a younger generation more resilient to facing life challenges, including the dynamics of the future world of work. (H-2)