In his opening remarks, ITB Rector, Prof. Tatacipta Dirgantara, expressed his appreciation for Ambassador Kwok’s presence. He emphasized the importance of the session in strengthening ASEAN cooperation while fostering brain circulation among countries.

Prof. Tatacipta explained that the collaborative relationship between ITB and Singapore has been established for more than three decades since 1993. Today, the partnership includes leading institutions such as the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Temasek Polytechnic, LASALLE College of the Arts, AI Singapore, and industry partners such as Intel Technology Asia.

He also encouraged students to think beyond boundaries, seize international opportunities, build global networks, and develop the competencies needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Singapore as a Long-Term Strategic Partner

During his presentation, H.E. Kwok Fook Seng highlighted that Singapore has been one of Indonesia’s largest foreign investors for more than a decade. Over the past year, Singapore’s investment in Indonesia reached approximately USD 20 billion. According to him, this reflects the high level of trust and long-term commitment between the two countries while creating broad opportunities for academic and industrial collaboration.

He emphasized that various opportunities for Indonesian students in Singapore are already available and can be pursued from an early stage.

“The door is already open,” he remarked.

Ambassador Kwok encouraged students to take advantage of the many available pathways, including student exchange programs, summer schools, dual-degree programs, internships, and employment opportunities.

“Start early,” he stressed.

According to him, internships are not only a means of gaining work experience but also one of the primary recruitment channels used by companies to identify and assess potential talent before graduation.

Opportunities in the Energy, AI, and Digital Economy Sectors

Ambassador Kwok highlighted several sectors expected to drive future economic growth and demand for global talent, namely energy, data and artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability, and services.

In the energy sector, he noted that Indonesia possesses enormous potential, particularly in renewable energy. With renewable energy potential reaching approximately 3,700 GW and Singapore’s energy demand standing at only around 20 GW, significant opportunities exist for collaboration in green energy development, renewable energy certificate trading, and cross-border carbon markets.

Beyond energy, data has become a strategic asset that increasingly determines a nation’s competitiveness.

“Therefore, students need to build strong data analytics capabilities to drive innovation and make evidence-based decisions,” he explained.

In the field of AI, Ambassador Kwok noted that rapid technological advancement presents both opportunities and challenges. Students are encouraged not only to use AI tools but also to apply them to solve real-world problems within their respective areas of expertise.

He also underscored the importance of sustainability in innovation and business development. According to him, global challenges such as climate change and the energy transition require sustainable solutions that generate broad societal impact.

Meanwhile, the services sector is expected to continue growing in line with increasing demand for knowledge-based services, technology, education, healthcare, and the digital economy. The sector offers extensive career opportunities for young people with strong collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Innovation, Market Adaptation, and Intellectual Property
Ambassador Kwok also highlighted a common challenge faced by first-generation startup founders: insufficient attention to local market adaptation.

According to him, innovations that fail to consider local market characteristics and consumer behavior often struggle to succeed. He cited examples of culinary businesses that must adapt their products to different regions, as well as digital startups that need to tailor their offerings to specific and competitive markets.

Regarding intellectual property, he encouraged students and researchers to protect their inventions through appropriate mechanisms while actively commercializing and sharing innovations to create broader societal impact.

Message to Students
In closing, Ambassador Kwok emphasized that success on the global stage is determined not only by technical expertise but also by human qualities such as empathy, adaptability, and sensitivity to market needs.

He encouraged students to build a strong academic foundation, embrace interdisciplinary approaches, and leverage data to develop effective and timely solutions.

“Many real-world challenges today cannot be solved from a single academic perspective; they require collaboration across multiple disciplines,” he said.

He also urged students to prepare themselves to become part of the global talent pool by mastering technology, understanding sustainability issues, and developing the adaptability needed to navigate rapid change.

Through The Ambassador Talks, ITB students gained valuable insights into international collaboration opportunities and strategic sectors of the future, as well as the competencies required to contribute to research, innovation, and sustainable development on a global scale.