Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM) held an Entrepreneurship Expo and Talkshow on Sunday, May 25, 2025, at the Student Center GIK FEB UGM to strengthen entrepreneurial skills and encourage cross-sector collaboration. The event with the theme “Sparking Innovation, Creating Impact” is part of practical learning for students taking Entrepreneurship and Design Thinking courses.
This activity is designed to provide firsthand experience to students through business exhibitions, discussion sessions with professionals, and workshops that encourage innovative thinking based on design thinking. Not only for students; this event is also a learning platform for MSME players to increase their capacity in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Risa Virgosita, S.E., M.Sc., Ph.D., as Coordinator of Entrepreneurship Studies of FEB UGM, explained that this activity aims to develop business ideas and invites students to experience firsthand how to build a business from scratch.
“Students are not only asked to develop business ideas but also to make prototypes of their business. Here, they can experience firsthand the challenges of starting a business,” she said.
Furthermore, Risa emphasized the commitment of FEB UGM to developing entrepreneurship, not only for students but also for fostering MSMEs.
“We want to move forward together and support each other,” she said.
Previously, the Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, and Cooperation, and Alumni of FEB UGM, Gumilang Aryo Sahadewo, S.E., M.A., Ph.D., said that Indonesia still needs to increase the national entrepreneurship ratio. This is because the ratio of Indonesian entrepreneurship is currently at 3.7%, which is quite behind that of many other countries.
“FEB UGM has an important role in conducting research and providing solutions for developing MSMEs. One form of contribution is through expo and talk show activities like this,” said Gumilang.
He added that this activity is part of the pre-incubation program provided by FEB UGM, which has started since the odd semester. Later, teams must develop product and service ideas. The best teams will receive grants and support including incubation, acceleration, and scale-up processes. “Hopefully, this activity can be held twice a year,” he said.
In this activity, a talk show also invited Rasyid Halimi, Head of Nurhayati Institute, and Miftahudin Nur Ihsan, Founder and Ceo of Smart Batik. The talk show was moderated by Rico Saktiawan Jang Jaya, a lecturer at the Department of Management, FEB UGM, and discussed the importance of innovation in a business.
This activity featured a total of 50 booths, consisting of 38 student teams taking Entrepreneurship and Design Thinking Workshop courses, as well as 12 fostered partner MSMEs. The highlight of this event was awarding the student stand with the best business idea. Each student team was given 3 minutes to present their business idea in front of the jury, followed by a question and answer session. The three best business ideas will be selected as winners and entitled to prizes and further support for their business development.
Report by: Orie Priscylla Mapeda Lumalan
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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