Celebrating 40 Years of Informatics Education in Indonesia, IAIF ITB Promotes Collaboration to Solve the Digital Talent Gap
Jakarta, August 10, 2022 – According to research by McKinsey (2019) and the World Bank (2015), Indonesia needs 600,000 digital talents per year to fully realize its trillions-of-rupiah digital economy potential. However, current supply only meets 100,000 to 200,000 of that demand—just one-sixth to one-third of the requirement. Moreover, this figure still needs to be adjusted for qualified and job-ready digital professionals.
Recognizing this issue, the ITB Informatics Engineering Alumni Association (IAIF ITB), the Informatics Engineering Program of ITB, and the Information Systems & Technology Program of ITB are calling on academics and industry professionals to collaborate in addressing Indonesia's digital talent challenges. This initiative aligns with the 40th anniversary of informatics education in Indonesia.
Radya Sponsors the Launch of Indonesia’s 40 Years of Informatics Education Celebration
The history of informatics education in Indonesia began in 1977, when several lecturers from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) traveled to France to study informatics science. Four years later, ITB opened admissions for the program. In 1982, ITB officially introduced and established the first informatics major in Indonesia.
To kick off this collaborative movement, IAIF ITB launched the 40 Years of Informatics Education logo and hosted a talk show titled "The Future of Indonesia’s Digital Talent" on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at Rumah Wijaya, Jl. Wijaya V No. 6, South Jakarta.
This hybrid (online & offline) event was attended by key figures, including:
Yuli Cahyono (Chairman of IAIF ITB)
Saiful Akbar (Vice Dean of Academics, School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (STEI) ITB)
Sonny Hendra Sudaryana (Digital Startup Coordinator, Ministry of Communication and Informatics of Indonesia)
Haryono Kasiman (Chairman of the Indonesian Informatics Experts Association (IAII))
Irving Hutagalung (Country Engineering Lead, PT Microsoft Indonesia)
Ahmad Rizqi Meydiarso (CEO & Co-Founder, Feedloop)
Puja Pramudya (VP Academy eFishery and Co-Founder of Radya)
ITB alumni and other informatics professionals
In his speech, Yuli Cahyono, Chairman of IAIF ITB, expressed appreciation for the positive impact of ITB alumni in the development of informatics education in Indonesia. However, he emphasized that this 40-year celebration is not just about ITB, but a milestone for informatics education nationwide.
Remarks from Saiful Akbar (Vice Dean of Academics, School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (STEI) ITB)
Saiful Akbar, representing academia, highlighted that Indonesia still struggles to produce digital talents that meet industry expectations. While many institutions offer informatics education, only a small portion of graduates actually match industry needs.
"This is a challenge for all of us—not just educational institutions, but also industry players—to refine informatics education in Indonesia," he stated.
Government’s Role in Digital Talent Development
Discussion session by IT practitioners, from left to right: Puja Pramudya (VP Academy eFishery and Co-founder of Radya), Ahmad Rizqi Meydiarso (CEO & Co-founder of Feedloop), and Sonny Sudaryana (Digital Startup Coordinator, Ministry of Communication and Informatics).
Representing the government, Sonny Sudaryana from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) stated that Kominfo serves as a facilitator in developing digital talent and the startup ecosystem.
"We try to regulate less, facilitate more, and even accelerate," he said. He also recommended further collaboration with other ministries, such as the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) and the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker), to address the digital talent gap.
Upcoming Events in the 40 Years of Informatics Education Celebration
This talk show marked the kick-off for a series of 40th-anniversary events, culminating in a grand celebration in Bandung between October and November 2022.
Planned activities include: ✅ Coderunners ✅ Alumni gathering ✅ Seminars & podcasts on informatics ✅ "Informatics Teaches" program ✅ ICoDSE Conference ✅ Job fair ✅ Other supporting events
About IAIF ITB
The ITB Informatics Alumni Association (IAIF ITB) is an alumni organization consisting of graduates from the Informatics Engineering (IF) and Information Systems & Technology (STI) programs at ITB across various generations.
IAIF ITB serves as a networking platform that connects IF and STI alumni, enabling them to contribute to Indonesia's development in various scientific and technological fields.
