Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Economics and Business

Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) together with eleven institutions in Southeast Asia and four institutions in Europe collaborate on an annual research project organized by Erasmus+ in Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education. This activity is called the ASEAN Network for Green Entrepreneurship and Leadership (ANGEL Program).

ANGEL aims to build the necessary capacity in eleven ASEAN Universities to increase the potential for economic growth and innovation in partner countries that lack capacity in green entrepreneurship and solve deep-rooted problems in society, such as; poverty challenges; low-quality jobs in the informal sector; digital gap; and the leadership gap. ANGEL supports the development of an innovative green entrepreneurial leadership ecosystem that will foster a sustainable entrepreneurial climate.

Inaugurated on January 15, 2021, the ANGEL Program specifically responds to social conditions that are full of imbalances in the scope of the ASEAN community. From ANGEL's point of view, social inequality needs to be addressed as soon as possible with various strategic steps involving academics, practitioners, government, business actors, and the community. The ANGEL program focuses on harmonizing collective steps in order to produce transformational leaders who are creative in working in an environmentally friendly entrepreneurial spirit. This leader will inspire social improvement because he can present business work that is productive, environmentally friendly, responsible, respect diversity, and has integrity.

UGM Project Manager in this contribution is Prof. Nurul Indarti, Ph.D. (Chair of the Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, UGM). In its work steps, the Laboratory of the Department of Management, FEB UGM, led by Rocky Adiguna, Ph.D. become the organizing technical institution. Various activities that will be carried out are ANGEL Guidance, ANGEL Innovative Unit, ANGEL Hub, and ANGEL Enterprise.

Angel Guidance is a guide that will provide practical and personalized information to build and lead a green company, determine a targeted training program, and also be equipped with personal coaching to support the creation of a start-up climate. ANGEL Innovative Unit will accommodate the university network to reach and mobilize internal and external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders include faculty members, administrative staff, researchers, students, and relevant external partners who can be social entrepreneurs, start-ups, and government agencies related to green entrepreneurship. ANGEL Innovative Unit will direct students to think processes in the scope of design, train effective and responsible leadership, support green-based entrepreneurship, and develop patents or copyrights. ANGEL Hub will be a medium of exchange and knowledge sharing, ANGEL Hub will be the center for the development of early-stage startups in green technology, energy, and sustainable development. Meanwhile, ANGEL Enterprise will support and advance ANGEL in the long term through developing expertise in the commercialization of university science and technology, and building partnerships with entrepreneurial ecosystems at regional, national, and international levels.

Synergic work involving various parties in the ANGEL Program is believed to be able to contribute to developing transformative and sustainability-minded national leaders. Starting from changing the paradigm of shared thinking that entrepreneurship in this era is not just about pursuing profit, but also about its benefits for the people and the planet for future generations of this great nation. This great responsibility rests on our shoulders and belongs to us together. Congratulations on working UGM in the ANGEL Program!

Reportage: Sony Budiarso/Kirana Lalita Pristy