Semarang State Polytechnic (Polines) as a campus that is committed to providing quality education (committed to quality), ready to become an educational institution that exists to forge the skills of the younger generation, including the millennial generation. Because, they demand an important role in building the nation's civilization.
This was conveyed by the Deputy Director of Polines, Dr. Eni Dwi Wardhani ST, MT, in the Semarang Trending Topic discussion with the theme "Millennials Building Civilization" which was held by Semarang Idol radio in collaboration with the Semarang State Polytechnic (Polines), Friday (26/05) at Allstay Hotel Jl Veteran No. 51 Semarang.
Apart from Eni Dwi Wardhani, there were also resource persons: KH Taj Yasin Maimoen (Deputy Governor of Central Java) and Prof HM Mukhsin Jamil (Deputy Chancellor of UIN Walisongo Semarang). The event was hosted by Semarang Idol radio announcer, Nadia Ardiwinata.
According to Eni, the current young generation, including the millennial generation, is required to have mindset critical thinking. So, we have to prepare the infrastructure so they can innovate and develop themselves.
Millennials are the demographic group following Generation X. There is no set time limit for the start and end of this group. Generation Y or Millennials were born in 1981-1996. Millennials are generally children from the Baby Boomers generation.
"Polines is ready to accommodate characteristics, including the millennial generation. We have to accommodate them with an inclusive environment that accepts diversity," he said.
According to Eni, to support the young generation's ecosystem in innovating, supporting regulations are needed. "Regulations (government provisions-Ed) are needed that are more adaptive to help develop their innovation," he said.
Eni gave an example, in India, almost all cars sound except for their horns. In Indonesia, no one makes a sound in the car, but the horn sounds. But what we need to pay attention to, in India, cars are self-creation.
Meanwhile in Indonesia, highways are built from government taxes – which pass cars from abroad. In fact, we have a generation that is innovative, critical thinking, and so on.
"So, we need that regulation earlier. So, when we prepare a generation that is open to innovation, we need to prepare regulations next to it," said Eni.
Think Relevant, Become Keywords
Meanwhile, Deputy Chancellor of UIN Walisongo Semarang, Prof. HM Mukhsin Jamil, stated that the skills of the younger generation, including millennials, are needed to build the nation's civilization. They are required to have a way of thinking that is relevant to the era.
According to Prof. Mukhsin, people must understand the characteristics of the millennial generation. So, we are right to provide the right social, cultural, even political and economic environment for them. They live in a situation– where the technological revolution is developing so fast.
"So, life is very easy. Because life is easy, they have a culture of easily getting bored seeing things because to get something that can also be obtained in a fast way, especially today's information technology, "said Prof. Mukhsin.
One of the characteristics of the millennial generation is getting bored easily. Easily bored to survive in certain situations. They always want to explore new things. For the millennial generation, nothing gadgets no life.
"The most concrete, they are, no gadgets no life! What does it mean? Now they have learning resources to live in a massive digital environment," added Prof. Mukhsin.
He gave an example, shopping with digital facilities, studying with digital facilities, even praying today is also facilitated with digital facilities. "Now comes the term, digital metaverse. We want to go for Umrah, only with tools virtual reality,” he said.
Therefore, according to Prof. Mukhsin, seeing this phenomenon, two actors must be present. Namely, state actors and civil society. There are many state actors, ranging from the government, politicians, law enforcers, and so on. They must create policies that condition a social, cultural, political, economic environment that can mature them, shape them, mental attitudes and relevant ways of thinking.
“Be relevant, the key word. So, how can the country encourage the millennial generation to be relevant to their time!” said Prof. Mukhsin.
Prof Mukhsin explained, for the second actor, civil society. Starting from educational institutions, social organizations, youth organizations, and so forth. They must be present in the situation experienced by the millennial generation.
Then, what can they present? According to Mukhsin Jamil, one of them is forming 21st Century skills. One of them is critical thinking (critical thinking).
“Why is this skill important? Today is the era post-truth. The problem of today's era is not the truth, but what kind of information that stirs emotions – that's what people take. The problem is not true or false information, but information that can move emotions. So that, critical thinking for the millennial generation is very important," said Prof. Mukhsin. (her)
Source: radioidola.com