Singaraja- Ganesha University of Education (Undiksha) students who received scholarships from Bank Indonesia did not only focus on participating in programs on campus. However, they are also involved in surveys in the economic sector, starting from price developments, business activity surveys, and consumer surveys. The reported results received appreciation from the Director of the Bali Province Bank Indonesia Representative Office (KPw), M.Setyawan Santoso because the accuracy is very high and significant with the survey results of the National Statistics Agency. This was revealed in a meeting with Undiksha Vice Chancellor III, Prof. Dr. I Wayan Suastra, M.Pd., Thursday (9/1/2020).
Setyawan Santoso explained that the survey was one of the programs rolled out by Bank Indonesia together with scholarship recipients in order to find out about developments in the market situation so that it could be used as a reference in conducting evaluations. “The results reported by Undiksha students are very good. We appreciate that,” he said. In addition to surveys, Bank Indonesia also cooperates with A-accredited tertiary institutions in the general field of student affairs regarding skills, leadership, and knowledge education to central banks for students receiving scholarships who are members of Generation New Indonesia (GenBI). “Besides that, there is also cooperation that is incidental in nature, meaning that if there is a request regarding education to the central bank or Bank Indonesia, there is a program that you want to share with students and lecturers,” he explained.
Delivered further, the cooperation goes both ways. Bank Indonesia is the world of the real world and universities are the world of education that cannot be separated from the real world. “The real world also continues to monitor developments in the world of education, so it is very possible for Bank Indonesia’s collaboration with Undiksha,” he said.
This collaboration is expected to be sustainable and continue to be improved, including efforts to increase the number of scholarship recipients. “I thank Undiksha and can continue the collaboration and even need to be improved. Regarding research, we also want to be with Undiksha in various fields,” he added. Manager of the Functions of Data, Statistics, and Financial Economics at the Regional Representative Office of Bank Indonesia for the Province of Bali, Chistina Irawadi, who attended the meeting, said that research collaboration that could be carried out with Undiksha was one of them in the tourism sector. “Tourism is the backbone of the Balinese economy, so it is necessary to carry out in-depth research on how tourism continues to support the Balinese economy, and how to build the tourism sector with other sectors, so that dependence on the tourism sector, little by little its distribution can be divided into other sectors,” she said.
As a first step, this research can be carried out in North Bali, and in the future, it can be developed. Launching this, his party also wants further communication with the Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM). “Other collaborations can also be made. One of them is in the development of the library,” she said.
Vice Chancellor, Prof. Suastra said that research is one part of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education. The offer from Bank Indonesia received a very positive response, including if it involved students. “Of course, we are very happy to have this cooperation offer. Research is part of higher education as well,” he said. He also emphasized that he is ready to facilitate communication with LPPM to be able to carry out this program in the near future. On that occasion, appreciation was also conveyed to BI for providing scholarships to students to support their education. “We hope this collaboration can continue and get even better,” he concluded. (hms)
