UNDIP, Semarang (3/7) – Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. (H.C.) Ir. Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, M.Sc., Ph.D., delivered a public lecture at Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), highlighting the theme “The State Budget (APBN) for an Advanced Indonesia: Maintaining Stability, Driving Growth, and Supporting Development.”
The public lecture was held under the theme of exploring the State Budget (APBN) not only as an instrument for managing state finances, but also as a development instrument that determines the nation’s capacity to maintain economic stability, strengthen the socio-economic resilience of its people, and accelerate structural transformation toward Golden Indonesia 2045.
Although the event took place during the university’s semester break, it attracted 1,365 students, including 101 members of Komunita (#UangKita Community), a collaborative initiative established by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia to promote public understanding of the APBN in support of Indonesia’s 2045 development vision. The public lecture was held in an engaging, informal atmosphere. It was moderated by Esther Sri Astuti Soeryaningrum Agustin, S.E., M.S.E., Ph.D., a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Diponegoro, specializing in International Finance.
The event was held at the Muladi Dome Multipurpose Hall on Friday, July 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. It was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, the Minister’s Special Staff for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), senior ministry executives, and the Rector of Universitas Diponegoro, Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., along with the university’s leadership.
In his presentation, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. (H.C.) Ir. Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, M.Sc., Ph.D., emphasized that the APBN serves as a strategic instrument for realizing a sovereign, just, and prosperous Indonesia. To achieve the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045, he outlined an ambitious target of 8% economic growth, driven through investments in human capital and education, job creation, entrepreneurship and start-up development, as well as industrialization. According to the Minister, these efforts are essential to reducing Indonesia’s dependence on imports while strengthening the country’s competitiveness in the global economy.
The Minister also underscored the importance of developing a Talent-Based Industrial Ecosystem by integrating the disciplines of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with SHARE (Social Sciences, Humanities, Arts for People, Religious Studies, and Economics). On this occasion, Universitas Diponegoro received special recognition as the leading university in Central Java for its contribution to knowledge development and the active participation of its academic community through the LPDP scholarship program.
In his welcoming remarks, Rector of Universitas Diponegoro, Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., expressed his appreciation for the Minister of Finance’s visit to the UNDIP campus. He noted that amid an increasingly complex global economy, he highly valued several of the Ministry of Finance’s policies for addressing macroeconomic challenges, including maintaining tax rates to preserve public purchasing power, supporting fiscal measures to achieve 8% economic growth, and safeguarding fiscal sustainability. “Great sailors are not made in calm seas. We believe that the Minister of Finance is well prepared to face Indonesia’s fiscal and macroeconomic challenges,” he remarked.
The Rector also highlighted the overwhelming enthusiasm demonstrated by students despite the semester break. According to him, this reflects UNDIP’s guiding principle of “low profile, high impact.” As a higher education institution, UNDIP continues to generate innovations through the downstream commercialization of research and technology, delivering tangible benefits to society. These include seawater desalination systems, a hemodialysis center, salt-tolerant rice and tilapia varieties, bone scaffolds—medical screws made from green mussel shells as bone substitutes—and numerous other innovations.
Prof. Suharnomo further announced that UNDIP plans to establish the UNDIP Manufacturing Center, which will serve as a hub for producing and commercializing the university’s innovations. The initiative represents UNDIP’s commitment to implementing the Tri Dharma of Higher Education while supporting the Indonesian Government’s agenda of achieving high and sustainable economic growth for the welfare of society.
The discussion session was highly interactive and received enthusiastic participation from students. Participants raised a range of critical questions, reflecting their concern over fiscal management challenges amid global economic uncertainty and the implementation of the government’s priority programs.
One student asked about the government’s risk mitigation strategies in response to the geopolitical tensions involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, which could potentially increase global oil prices, weaken the Indonesian rupiah against the U.S. dollar, and place additional pressure on the State Budget.
Students also inquired about fiscal support for the 100-Gigawatt Power Plant Program, one of President Prabowo Subianto’s priority initiatives, particularly regarding the incentives that the Ministry of Finance could provide to encourage investment and accelerate the program’s implementation. Other discussions focused on the government’s strategy for maintaining fiscal sustainability while financing major national priority programs.
Responding in his characteristic engaging style, the Minister of Finance welcomed the students’ constructive input and encouraged several of them to submit their recommendations in writing for further consideration. (Public Communication / UNDIP Media Team)
