HumasUPNVJ - For the 70th time, UPN "Veteran" Jakarta (UPNVJ) is holding a graduation today (25/03). Located at the Jakarta Convention Center, this year's graduation has the big theme "Becoming Adaptive, Innovative and Competent Graduates for Nation Development."

In line with the focused theme, the Chancellor of UPNVJ, Dr. Anter Venus, MA., Comm, through his remarks conveyed several points that needed to be considered by the 1007 graduates so that they could become graduates who were adaptive, innovative and competent as intended.

This graduation does not mean the end but a new beginning for graduates to start the world of work and carve out other new experiences.

The Chancellor advised that this new world is not always easy, it is not always flat, there are lots of ups and downs and even winding roads to be traversed. Moreover, today's world is experiencing disruption, a shock of change that has shattered the established order of human activity.

As is known, these changes are very fast, massive, unpredictable, confusing and are influenced by many factors that are difficult to control. Even the stability of the information structure that has been regulated by the mass media has shaken violently with the presence of social media.

Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, two business and leadership experts from the United States, explained this situation with the VUCA terminology which stands for volatility , uncertainty , complexity , and ambiguity (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous).

Facing a situation like this we are required to develop new insights, new skills and new attitudes, all of which are demands of today's skills.

According to the results of a meta-analysis conducted by the World Economic Forum (2016), the Chancellor stated that there are at least ten new skills needed to be able to adapt to life in this century, including; 1) the ability to solve complex problems (2) critical thinking, (3) creativity, (4) managing people, (5) the ability to build relationships, cooperate and network with others (6) the ability to self-control or emotional intelligence (7) accuracy in decision making, (8) service orientation, (9) negotiating skills, and (10) brain flexibility to continuously adapt to new situations.

In the current era, according to experts it is important for humans to develop lifelong learning behavior through the LUR model (an abbreviation of Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn) adapted from Alvin Toffler's concept.

Learn means seriousness in learning knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are in accordance with the demands of current developments. Meanwhile, unlearn is the courage to throw away irrelevant knowledge/skills. Then relearn can be interpreted as studying a new field or a field that has been mastered but is outdated or obsolete.

In accordance with the explanation above, graduates need to continue to update their knowledge. Graduates are required to develop a growth mindset, namely a mindset that sees that their talents and abilities can always be developed further.

What is no less important for graduates to absorb is ecological, intercultural and interdisciplinary insights for students in building good relations with fellow human beings as well as with their natural, social and cultural environment. In short, after completing their studies, graduates are encouraged to continue learning in order to remain competent and relevant to the rapidly changing times.

With the graduation of the 1007 students today, it signifies the end of UPNVJ's obligation to accompany and educate the nation's children to become competent, characterful and nationally defended individuals.