Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), in collaboration with Bank Indonesia and Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, held its third Wirausaha Merdeka (WMK) Expo at Sleman City Hall. The event showcased student products developed during the six-month entrepreneurship program under the Kampus Merdeka initiative by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.
The WMK program equips students with entrepreneurial skills, from creating and marketing products to managing sales. Participants can also convert up to 20 academic credits for their involvement. This year’s event featured 400 student entrepreneurs from UNY and beyond, along with members of Generasi Baru Indonesia (GenBI) DIY.
The expo was inaugurated by UNY Vice Rector for Planning and Finance, Prof. Dr. Lantip Diat Prasojo, M.Pd., who emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship as a core element of UNY’s identity as a state university with autonomy (PTN BH). "We hope to develop students into exceptional and principled entrepreneurs capable of collaborating with stakeholders and innovating by viewing business peers as collaborators rather than competitors," he said.
The event also included a talk show featuring three speakers: Dr. Yudan Hermawan, WMK Program Chair at UNY; Dwiarti Larasputri, Junior Analyst at Bank Indonesia DIY; and Satya Bilal, Chair of the Asia Council for Small Business (ACSB) DIY.
Dr. Yudan highlighted courage as the cornerstone of entrepreneurship. "Start with bravery, then develop ideas and execute them," he advised. He further emphasized the program's goal of nurturing young entrepreneurs who champion local products. "Through WMK, students receive guidance to build their businesses from scratch, enabling them to create sustainable ventures rooted in local resources and products," he concluded.
