Sustainable learning is the process of seeking knowledge, whether formally or informally. The purpose of lifelong learning is to self-motivate voluntarily for either personal or professional reasons. The activity was held to foster the spirit of leadership and love for knowledge and learning among educational workers.

The ITB Vice-Rector for Resources, Ir. Gusti Ayu Putri Saptawati, M.Comm., expressed the concept of “BAKTI” introduced by the Rector of ITB as a compulsory competence to be held by every lecturer and educational worker at ITB during her welcome speech a few days ago.

“BAKTI” is an acronym representing the six compulsory competencies: (1) Boundless learning; (2) Adaptive; (3) Collaborative; (4) High-Performing; (5) Tolerance; and (6) Integrity. The jargon was created by Dr. Willy Himawan, S.Sn., M.Sn., a professor of the Fine Arts Research Group, the Faculty of Arts and Design (FAD) ITB. Moreover, he also shared the principle of WRSD — ‘work hard, play harder’ — which he applies to his everyday life. “The message is that our lives do not revolve around using the left brain only. If we observe mindfully, those who succeed are the ones who have strong networking skills,” he commented. He hoped that educational workers would become more adept at socializing. In the context of this event, he wished that the knowledge shared by Prof. Intan would prove beneficial, while simultaneously nurturing the friendship between participants as a bonus.

“Learning is a duty. We hope the continuous improvement training material can be delivered perpetually,” remarked the Vice-Rector.

The Role of Edu-Workers in Universities

Prof. Intan Ahmad opened the session with a quote from Charles Darwin: ‘It is not the strongest or smartest human who will survive, rather, it is those who adapt.’ One form of adaptation is through learning. “In our profession, we must survive through continuous learning,” he declared.

He asserted that a university is a creative kind of organization. The existence of non-academic staff or educational workers, also referred to as edu-workers, in universities holds a significant role in supporting the academic mission and providing important services to the university community. “Edu-workers play a huge role in creating a positive and productive learning environment,” explained Prof. Intan.

The School of Life Sciences and Technology ITB’s Full Professor relayed a few issues generally faced by edu-workers. Firstly, inadequate writing ability, such as in letter or email writing. Secondly, unfamiliarity with technology. Thirdly, a lack of capacity to engage with stakeholders, whether in communication or when facing complex problems. Fourthly is the lack of project management, the ability to plan, organize, and budget. Lastly, there is the leadership problem.

“Furthermore, there is also the issue of human literacy and cultural competency. These abilities are important to mutually comprehend each other from different backgrounds,” he added.

Meanwhile, Prof. Intan expressed other challenges faced by edu-workers in supporting the academic mission, such as: (1) limited resources: budget, personnel, and technology; (2) working environment transformation; (3) increasing workload; (4) limited opportunity to gain professional development; (5) lack of recognition.

Regarding leadership in the edu-worker environment, Prof. Intan also remarked that a leader must clearly discern between leadership and management. Leadership is the ability to communicate, solve problems, and make decisions. In contrast, management is the ability to manage time, lead, organize, regulate institutional policy, and expand understanding of relevant laws and regulations.

“Last but not least, it is important to comprehend the institution of ITB, such as how the decision-making process is executed in regards to the organizational structure and regulations,” he explained.

Translator: Firzana Aisya (Bioengineering, 2021)