Suhardi opened the public lecture by reciting the words of Sukarno—the first President of Indonesia—that the struggle in the future will be harder because of confronting people of our own nation, instead of struggling against colonialist like in the past. Indonesia is challenged to preserve her unity and independent. With development of technology, the struggle to preserve the unity of NKRI is harder. Globalization brings not only positive impacts but also negative impacts if we cannot respond wisely.

Nation’s Challenges

Indonesia is currently facing many challenges in global, regional, or national level. Food resources struggle, climate change, radicalism, and global competition are among the global challenges. Certain nations’ domination such as the US and China, South China Sea dispute, and ASEAN Economic Community are among regional challenges. Poverty, horizontal conflict, border issue, intolerance, and sectorial ego are among the national challenges. Therefore, in facing those challenges, students are expected to have the sensitivity about the facing crisis so that they can understand and look for the solution. Moreover, students are also expected to have strong instinct of nationality, so as to not easily be faltered when infiltrated by radical thoughts from irresponsible parties. Finally, students are required to be perceptive to changes so that they can be adaptable and take positive lesson from the change.

Photo: Personal Documentation