Transformational Experience of a Udayana University Student in the 2024 Batch 3 Wirausaha Merdeka Program

• Posted by: Admin
• Kamis, 6 Februari 2025
• Has been read 1 time(s)

I am Pathan Afghan Ahmad, a seventh-semester student at Udayana University. I am participating in the 2024 Batch 3 Wirausaha Merdeka Program, which is part of the Kampus Merdeka initiative organized by the Ministry of Education. This program provides students with the opportunity to learn and develop themselves as future entrepreneurs through various activities outside of regular coursework. Through this program, I can deepen my knowledge in entrepreneurship, enhance my entrepreneurial skills, and sharpen my employability skills.

The 2024 Batch 3 Wirausaha Merdeka Program consists of three stages: Pre-Immersion, Immersion, and Post-Immersion. In the Pre-Immersion stage, my fellow participants and I received online lessons on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and leadership skills. During this stage, we had the opportunity to develop our mindset and validate business ideas under the guidance of mentors, practitioners, and entrepreneurship lecturers.

Next is the Immersion stage, where participants are given the opportunity to observe real business processes firsthand through an internship program at MSMEs collaborating with Wirausaha Merdeka. This stage aims to enhance our skills in developing business models and creating prototypes. Participants were divided into several groups and assigned to different MSMEs for their internships. My group and I had the opportunity to intern at Semesta Mendukung Studio for ten days, where we directly learned about MSME business operations. Additionally, I interacted with cooperative mentors and gained new insights into marketing strategies for business products.

The final stage is Post-Immersion, where participants begin to apply the knowledge they have acquired and start developing business ideas within their respective groups. After this stage, participants are expected to be able to run their own businesses according to their planned strategies. Each group’s product is then showcased and evaluated by an assessment team during the Expo and Investment Summit of the Wirausaha Merdeka program, held at Udayana Sudirman Campus, Denpasar, Bali.

My experience in the 2024 Batch 3 Wirausaha Merdeka Program has been incredibly valuable. This program not only provided in-depth insights into the world of entrepreneurship but also trained essential practical skills such as leadership, problem-solving, and business management. Through the Immersion stage, I had the opportunity to witness firsthand how a business operates and engage with experienced mentors. The interactive learning process and support from industry practitioners made this experience even more meaningful, broadening my perspective on the entrepreneuria l world.