The Rector of Universitas Indo Global Mandiri (IGM), Dr. H. Marzuki Alie, Ph.D., reminded the graduates that the challenges they will face after graduation will not be easy.
He noted that three major challenges lie ahead: artificial intelligence (AI), global competition, and an information overload. “To be honest, the challenges you’ll face after this graduation ceremony will be very difficult,” he said during the 24th Open Senate Session and Commencement Ceremony of Universitas Indo Global Mandiri and the 10th Commencement Ceremony of STEBIS IGM at the Golden Sriwijaya Building on Jalan Gubernur H. Bastari in Palembang on Saturday, October 24.
According to him, the first challenge is AI, which is projected to replace 40 percent of routine jobs—ranging from administrative staff and translators to entry-level programmers. The second challenge is that job competition is no longer local in nature. “It’s no longer Palembang versus Palembang, but Palembang versus Vietnam and India,” he emphasized.
The third challenge, he continued, is the most dangerous: an abundance of information that isn’t balanced by mental resilience. He urged the graduates to be aware of this starting on graduation day. “Information may flow endlessly, but a weak mind will make you easily overwhelmed,” he said.
He cited data from the World Economic Forum, which notes that 65 percent of jobs in 2030 do not yet have a name. This means that the knowledge gained during four years of college could become obsolete in just two years. “If that’s the case, what’s the point of us graduating today? The answer lies in what you take home with you,” he said.
He emphasized that IGM does not merely grant bachelor’s degrees but also cultivates three types of future-ready individuals. He acknowledged the power of AI, which can continuously improve with larger datasets, but noted that AI cannot function with a heart, empathy, reason, or tears. “That is what machines will never be able to replace,” he asserted.
When faced with rejection in the job market, he continued, AI merely updates its algorithms. Humans, on the other hand, will cry, pray, and then rise again—remembering the rector’s message and the face of a mother who dreams of seeing her child succeed. “That is your strength, and that is what makes you irreplaceable,” he concluded (andhiko ta)
