In this “Get to Know” session, we explored the life journey and insights of mr. Dwi Sapto Febriantaka, M.A.—Vice Rector II of UNDIRA, currently responsible for resources, finance, IT, and business development.

Affectionately known as mr. Koko, he was born in Surabaya and spent his teenage years in the United Kingdom. There, he pursued his education from junior high school through graduate studies, eventually earning a Master of Arts from the University of Leicester. Despite receiving promising career offers in the UK, he chose to return home to contribute to Indonesia’s growth.

His career began in the financial sector, working in insurance companies and holding strategic positions at Bank Multicor and Bank Mizuho. The 1998 crisis marked a turning point, steering him toward risk management and eventually into the field of education.

Since joining UNDIRA in 2022, he has been actively involved in building a sustainable campus financial system and expanding institutional networks. Beyond academia, he also manages family-run schools such as LIA and Lazuardi GIC, and serves as a financial consultant.

In his view, Indonesia holds tremendous potential amid global tensions. He highlights the importance of infrastructure development, the role of MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises), and fiscal policies that support small-scale players. The government, he believes, must build a system that delivers fairness from the top down to ensure greater economic equity.

He also encourages students to learn from neighboring countries that have successfully risen, while emphasizing the importance of worker loyalty—a value he sees as increasingly rare.

As a professional who has worked from entry-level to managerial positions, he believes that consistency, innovation, and passion for one’s work are the keys to success. He urges students to think critically, understand their motivations, and never be afraid to try.

On technology—especially AI—he reminds us that machines can never replace human creativity and values. Ethics, mistakes, and sensitivity remain essential even in the face of technological advancement.

Concluding the conversation, he reaffirmed that excellence is not merely about numbers—it is also about empathy, intellect, and care.

Dwi Sapto Febriantaka emphasized that while artificial intelligence may accelerate work processes, originality and creativity remain the core of human life. Machines cannot function without the creative spark of humans.

Thus, the process of trial and error, along with the preservation of human values, must be central to students—especially as they shape their roles as future architects of the nation. Excellence is not derived solely from technical precision, but from the human capacity for reasoning, enabling individuals to thrive anywhere, anytime, through their own strength.

In an unpredictable world, reliance on intelligence alone is barely scratching the surface. Students must also possess a strong character alongside will—because, not only a success is dictated by their smarts but also their integrity and professionalism. As future world-changing agent, the well being of the nation rests in their hands.