[Guest Post] Enthusiasm, Idealism, and Culture: University's Main Asset to Trigger Innovation

Editorial: This article is the continuation theme about Silicon Valley, University in Indonesia and their relations with innovations and entrepreneurship. Sigit Purnomo as a lecturer surely has an interesting view about this theme. This article was written by Sigit Purnomo as a guest post.

This article tried to continue the trilogy of Angelina Veni about Silicon Valley, Rama Mamuaya with Universities in Indonesia Must be a Trigger for Innovation, and Wiku Baskoro withChoosing to Establish – Work in Startup or Work in a Large Company? In those trilogies there are similar topics of discussion, which is how university and industry collaborate in harmony to make a beautiful symphony called “Silicon Valley”. In this article I would like to talk over what have been said by Angelina Veni: “Silicon Valley is more than just a building, company, and universities – there is enthusiasm here, idealism, and culture.” Enthusiasm, idealism, and culture, my opinion is that these three things is very important for University in Indonesia to trigger an innovation.

Enthusiasm

There are two interesting stories in a book called Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell which I’ll bring as a companion to discuss enthusiasm. The first story is about how Bill Joy entered the University of Michigan at the right time when the university opens a Computer Center. The Computer Center eventually became Bill Joy daily life, and in every chance Bill Joy made several of programs in this place. The second story is about Bill Gates undergo his second year in a private school in Lakeside. This school open up a computer club and since then, Bill Gates lived in that club and made computer his life obsession. There is a similarity in both stories. Bil lJoy and Bill Gates, they both have the same enthusiasm for computer when they have the chance.

Now, do universities in Indonesia have that kind of enthusiasm? I’m sure, many universities in Indonesia, especially in Technology Information, already cooperate with some companies, like Oracle, Microsoft, CISCO, Sun Microsystem, Nokia and other vendors. They have their own collaboration program with the education institution. I’m also sure enough that the university had facilitated a lab with computers and other hardware such as hand phone/smartphone in it. With this kind of chance that been given to the students or the professors of the university, will they be as enthusiastic as Bill Joy and Bill Gates?

This story can be made as an example to answer that question. One of the collaborate program given by Microsoft to university is MSDNAA, it’s a free license for over 180 Microsoft’s software given to students or professor in STEM department (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). It’s a huge chance for every students and professors to make an innovation. Too bad, from over 180 softwares, the most download is OS and not development tools such as Visual Studio or XNA Game Studio. It also happened to the use of the laboratory. The available computers only used to play games or accessing social network sites. From this point the only enthusiasm that exists is the enthusiastic user rather than innovator.

Idealism

One more story from Angelina Veni: “I’ve met many entrepreneurs, most of them are idealistic– in terms: they first think about a solution to a problem, create something to solve it, and think about monetarism later on.” Does this kind of thinking exist in university in Indonesia? Maybe in the university, may it the students or the professors don’t know what supposed to be, if they or anyone else have one, the problem and the need to solve it.

Those kinds of things might happen. The technology that been a part of their daily life has become a double edge sword and ‘blind’ them to see whether there is a problem or not.When they need information, there is Google who always ready to help. When they need to communicate and interact with others, there is Twitter or Facebook, and other kind of social networking services that will help them. The condition shown above make us see that there is nothing wrong and every problem have their solution. The first thing from innovation has gone missing. How they can innovate to solve problems if they don’t know what is the problem they’re facing. Maybe this kind of things that made startup in Indonesia become ORM (observes, replicate and modified).

Culture

Culture? Many universities in Indonesia claim them selves as a research university or an entrepreneur university. Are there universities in Indonesia have a solid culture, whether its research culture or entrepreneur culture? If not, maybe the next question will be how the research university or an entrepreneur university soul entered to the whole academic member of the university? A big homework for the university or the industry to achieved Silicon Valley.

Silicon Valley culture can be clearly seen. Universities and industries are really able to make a beautiful harmony. How about Indonesia? Wiku already written on how industry, especially vendors nowadays repeatedly enter campus. Many events held in campus to meet up with industries, especially startup (you can read the archives in DS). Did all of that help create a culture in the university? Did all that able to bridge the gap between industries and universities?

Finally, as a part of a university, I have an urge for “Silicon Valley” to succeed in Indonesia, not only in Jakarta but also in other cities like Jogjakarta. I hope the development of startup in Indonesia (even though not started from university), able to help university so it can collaborate in building a beautiful symphony called “Silicon Valley Indonesia”.

This guest post article was written by Yohanes Sigit Prunomo W.P. a lecturer in Informatics Department at Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta (UAJY), beside that Sigit also a co-founder of PersonaFlag (location based social network) and VisualMagz (Photography andVisual Design Blog). You can follow sigit on twitter at @sigitpurnomo or see his LinkedIn here.

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