The Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology Study Program (TRKI) Vocational School, Diponegoro University (UNDIP), has initiated the OB TVET (Principles, Infrastructure, and Superstructure) learning concept to prepare graduates to perform according to the needs of the millennial industry. The vocational learning system developed focuses on Outcome Education (OBE), which is modified by a Dual System and integrated with a Digitalization Teaching Factory to welcome Cybergogy learning, namely actively linking creativity through web 4.0, communicating, collaborating in Cyber, self-regulated, ownership, generative, Inspirator, and humans are meaningful.
Head of the Study Program, Mohamad Endy Yulianto, said that most TRKI graduates are absorbed in industry, and some continue to Masters, Doctoral, and Entrepreneurship levels. Most alums who continue their Masters and Doctoral degrees, such as England, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan, go abroad. Qurrotun A’yuni Khoirun Nisa’, usually called Ayuni, is currently studying an integrated master-doctoral degree program at Pukyong National University, South Korea, majoring in polymer engineering, while Yusuf Arya is continuing his Doctoral studies at the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.
Ayuni, when contacted via Zoom, said that this achievement was inseparable from valuable guidance and encouragement from various parties. Of course, the guidance of the dedicated lecturers and moral support from colleagues are the main pillars of this achievement. All the experiences and lessons I received shaped my academics and my character as an individual who is ready to face future challenges.
Ayuni expressed her gratitude for being able to study at the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology Study Program at the UNDIP Vocational School. The TRKI learning system, which implements a Dual System integrated with the Teaching Factory, is one of the pillars so that further study for Masters and Doctoral degrees can be accepted. It was conveyed that practical replication learning at the mini plant and practical replication through lecturers’ research provided more than enough skills and competencies to study abroad. Through this experience, I plan to contribute significantly to research and innovation at the global level. Of course, none of this would have been achieved without the help of lecturers, staff, friends, and the university, who have supported me throughout this journey.
Arya also experienced the same thing; they said that being equipped with research capabilities, mastering the use of equipment in the laboratory and pilot plant, as well as publishing scientific articles allowed him to study for a master’s degree abroad starting in 2022 with a full scholarship, namely Excellent Foreign Student. (EFS) by Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT), Thammasat University, Thailand. During my master’s studies, I was involved in a more intensive academic environment with higher expectations for research and scientific work. Various courses, research projects, and engagement in discussions have substantially expanded my knowledge. “This reminds me of the important role of engineering and technology in the context of sustainability during my studies at TRKI Vocational Undip,” explained Arya.
Arya also added that in the research process, he was involved in more complex experiments, analyzed and visualized more in-depth data, and faced more complicated methodological challenges. More than that, the intensive academic atmosphere in the TRKI Study Program encouraged me to continue to innovate and be creative. The learning method in the TRKI Study Program replicates the practice of implementing independent learning, such as research and community service activities for lecturers and staff. The course learning method is TEFA-based and implemented directly at TEFA, and students replicate the practice at the mini plant to improve their skills. “Therefore, these pillars led to Doctoral education at the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, by obtaining a C2F PhD scholarship (Funding for high-efficiency Ph.D. candidates under the Second Century Fund), concluded Arya.