WHAT is global?
Look at the dictionary, Harvard dictionary stated: Global means Of, relating to, or involving the entire earth; worldwide. That’s all, sort and dense. Too clear to be interpreted more, therefore I prefer to not explain more. I just want to say that Telkom University goes global means Telkom University goes worldwide. This is big stuffs to be done, even to be talked.
WHY does TELKOM UNIVERSITY need to be global?
In my opinion, there are some reasons, why Telkom University needs to be global:
We will never know if we don’t try
Other universities may underestimate us. But we are strictly prohibited to do so. We will never know if we don’t try. The beginning is always hard, but we also have to note that nothing doesn’t have a beginning. This is the beginning of being global, this will be hard. But trying is the best thing we can do now. Not just trying, but using our best effort to make it works.
When Telkom University become global, no one will doubt it
That is not anyone’s saying. That is mine. I said so, since we are doubted. We, for us, who study here, and for our alma beloved Telkom University. I didn’t say that we are doubted compared to other university in Indonesia. I did say that we are doubted compared to other universities in the world. To be not doubted anymore, the answer is being global. Why so? There are some reasons:
- By being global, we can promote more, we can prove more, we can achieve more
Start from promote more. Marketing is the one important key to prove that we are good. We have a lot of international achievements, but if no one knows that, they will be nothing. It’s not about showing, it’s about promoting. By being global, the more market share we get, the more opportunities we get. About proving, well, we can’t expect more by only proving our abilities to our local communities. By being global, even we can prove to global communities. It will be challenging, but challenge is a part of life. No one can develop themselves without challenges, and either an institute. As a result, by being global, an institute will achieve more, since it can promote more and prove more. Promoting and proving will lead to a good achievement. No one will doubt an institute who has good global achievement, right?
- By being global, we can give more
By being global, Telkom University can give more to Telkom University student, Telkom University city, and even Telkom University country since more people with different countries, languages, and cultures will come to Telkom University. This condition will force Telkom University students to prepare more. They will learn English more, since English is global language (otherwise they have to learn Japanese, Chinese, or even Urdu, in the same time). That global condition in Telkom University will also open the mind of Telkom University students. ACFTA is the thing I am talking about. ACFTA will erase all walls and boundaries. The competition will be global. By being global, Telkom University will indirectly prepare Telkom University’s local students to face global competition since they will get involve with global communities earlier. By being global, TELKOM Telkom University will also give more to Telkom University city and country
HOW to make it works?
As an industrial engineering student, I will talk about the system. The system include of tree parts, the input, process, and output. Let say, the system is about making Telkom University to be global university. What we have to do is we have to prepare all of the inputs well, construct the good model for the process, so that the output will be excellent. The input to be prepared including:
- Facilities and infrastructures
This is the most tangible and the most expensive one I think. It is impossible to invite all students all over the world to come to Telkom University by showing Telkom University outdated laboratory tools and equipments and broken wall classrooms. Maybe it’s better to not judge a book from Telkom University cover, but it has nothing to do with an institute I think. However, appearance is also important.
- Resource
This is also the crucial part of the output, and maybe the hardest one. We can take one example. If we are inviting foreign students, I bet all of them will sleep during class time if all lecturers explain all courses in Bahasa. Well, it’s not easy to force a lecture (especially the senior one) to learn English. It’s not only about reading English books, but also explaining books’ contents in English. How about Telkom University administration staffs? Sorry to say, but they also have to learn English.
- Government’s support
Sometimes I feel so sorry with our governments who are always blamed for every bad thing happened. But I have to say that it is not easy to get government’s support, even for something very good. The ironic thing is, governments support is something crucial for Telkom University to be global university.
Through the process, all input are transformed together, to produce the great output (the global Telkom University). Therefore, it’s important to construct the right process, just like Takashi Osada ’s (the father of five-S) saying : “If the process is right, the result will take care of it self”