UMP Rector Backs Proposal to Make Business Creation a Graduation Requirement
The Rector of Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto (UMP), Prof Dr Jebul Suroso, has declared his support for a proposal by the Chairman of the National Creative Economy Movement (Gekrafs), Kawendra Lukistian. The proposal advocates for business creation and job generation to serve as indicators of student graduation.
Kawendra proposed that higher education institutions adopt the number of graduates who own businesses as a key performance indicator (KPI) for universities, particularly in the creative economy sector.
“For instance, could UMP’s campus KPI be whether its students have their own businesses after graduating, especially in the creative economy sector? We would challenge them to write their thesis whilst opening a business, and that would become the KPI for graduating from that university,” said Kawendra on Tuesday (17/2/2026).
The remarks were delivered during a discussion entitled “Creative Hub, MSMEs and Digitalisation: Pillars of the Modern Creative Economy Ecosystem,” held at Samara Cafe & Eatery in Purwokerto on Monday (16/2).
He emphasised that universities should not merely function as venues for formal education but also as practical spaces capable of producing young entrepreneurs.
“We want universities to encourage the birth of entrepreneurs. There could be a Gekrafs chapter at UMP specifically on campus,” he said.
In response, UMP Rector Prof Jebul Suroso stated that his institution was aligned with the proposal and had in fact already implemented a curriculum concept based on job creation through its smart curriculum programme.
“We agree with Kawendra’s idea. Universities must be places where job creators are born, not just job seekers. That is why UMP has prepared a curriculum that encourages students to build businesses whilst still studying,” he said.
He cited the example of a kopyor coconut downstream processing programme that has produced various economically valuable derivative products, including processed chocolate products, as part of the implementation of an impact-driven curriculum.
Additionally, UMP runs an “impactful professor” programme in which academics are directly involved in community development, including at the English Village educational tourism area in Banyumas.
During the same event, Kawendra also highlighted the significant potential of Banyumas and Purwokerto in the creative economy sector based on intellectual wealth.
“When we talk about the creative economy, Purwokerto has already become an intellectual territory that can be optimised. This is value that can become intellectual property and be utilised by the community,” he explained.
He added that strengthening collaboration between universities and creative communities is key to creating a sustainable creative economy ecosystem that delivers tangible social impact.
The discussion is expected to serve as a strategic step in driving the transformation of higher education institutions into centres for producing young entrepreneurs, whilst simultaneously reinforcing the role of universities in creating employment and improving community welfare.