Last night I had the pleasure of attending the “Evening with Chevening” event at the British Embassy in Jakarta. This gathering was extra special as it marked the 40th anniversary of the Chevening Scholarship program, a UK government initiative that has been empowering future leaders worldwide since 1983. Over the past four decades, Chevening has built a global network of more than 57,000 alumni, including 20 current or former heads of state.
In Indonesia, the impact of Chevening is significant, with numerous scholars benefiting from the opportunity to pursue fully funded master’s degrees in the UK. The program covers university tuition fees, a monthly stipend, travel costs, and more, allowing scholars to focus entirely on their studies and personal development. Attending the event was a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow alumni and celebrate the program’s ongoing commitment to nurturing leadership and fostering positive change in Indonesia and beyond.
This week, I had the chance to attend a workshop in Bandung, part of the Entrepreneur Hub (EHUB) program organized by the Ministry MSME (KemenUMKM). The event, focusing on sociopreneurship, was opened by Siti Azizah, Deputy for Entrepreneurship, and Irwansyah Putra Panjaitan, Assistant Deputy for Business Ecosystem Development. The audience included social entrepreneurs, SMEs, and representatives from the West Java provincial government. It was an engaging session that shed light on how sociopreneurship is shaping the MSME economy.
Sociopreneurship is all about blending business strategies with a commitment to solving social problems. What makes it unique is that its performance is measured by the impact it creates on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Whether it’s tackling poverty, promoting education, or addressing environmental issues, sociopreneurship drives real-world solutions while building sustainable businesses.
On the regulatory side, the Indonesian government plays a vital role in creating policies that support the growth of these ventures, ensuring they thrive within a robust MSME ecosystem. Ultimately, sociopreneurship is a catalyst for economic and social empowerment, creating a ripple effect of positive change in communities.
The IEEE TEMS (Technology and Engineering Management Society) is an IEEE society focusing in engineering and technology management. TEMS serves professionals who work at the intersection of technical and managerial roles, providing resources for innovation, leadership, and strategic thinking in technology-focused business. The society’s mission is to enhance knowledge and skills in managing the processes, resources, and challenges of technology-intensive and engineering-centric projects.
For the 1st time, IEEE TEMS carried out one of its flagship conference in Indonesia. The IEEE TEMS Conference Asia-Pacific (TEMSCON ASPAC) took place in Bali from 25 to 26 September, at the Prama Sanur Beach Hotel. The conference theme, “Achieving Competitiveness in the Age of AI,” focused on the transformative role of AI in modern business and engineering management. The top leaders of the IEEE TEMS, accompanied by scholars, industry leaders, and researchers from around world (beyond only Asia-Pacific region) gathered to discuss topics including updated innovations related to competitiveness, sustainable supply chain management, cybersecurity policies, digital healthcare innovations, and entrepreneurship, etc within the digital ecosystem.
Photo session at the TEMSCON opening ceremony
The conference began with a welcome from Conference Chair Prof. Andy Chen (former IEEE TEMS President and current President-Elect of the IEEE Systems Council). The opening session featured introductory remarks from prominent figures, including Prof. Andrea Balz (current President of IEEE TEMS), and Prof. Imam Baihaqi (Vice Rector of ITS Surabaya).
With Prof Benny Tjahjono and the Coventry University Gang at the TEMSCON opening ceremony
The keynote presentations were delivered by distinguished academics: Prof. Richard Dashwood (Vice-Provost for Research and Enterprise and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research at Coventry University), Prof. Alexander Brem (Professor and Vice Rector at the University of Stuttgart); and Prof. Anna Tyshetskaya (Vice Rector at Sankt Petersburg University in Russia). After the opening, the conference continued with breaking sessions for research paper presentations.
With Prof Richard Dashwood, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research at Coventry University
The second day of the conference was carried out as an Industry Forum with experts highlighted the challenges and opportunities that AI brings to global competitiveness. The speakers, besides Dr Ravikiran Annaswamy (the Past President of the IEEE TEMS) and Dr Sudeendra Koushik (the President-Elect of the IEEE TEMS), was yours truly. It was surely an honour. The title of my presentation was “Towards Complexity-Based Strategic Management.”
Keynote Speech by Yours Truly at TEMSCON Industry Forum
Following the lunch break, the forum resumed with an engaging panel session on “Accelerating Innovation for a Sustainable Future.” Prof. Marc Schlichtner, (Principal Key Expert at Siemens) served as the speaker, with Prof. Robert Bierwolf (TEMS Board of Governors Member) moderating. The panelists included esteemed leaders in technology and engineering management: Prof. Alexander Brem (Professor and Vice Rector at the University of Stuttgart), Prof. Anna Tyshetskaya (Vice Rector at Sankt Petersburg University in Russia), and yours truly. Truly an honour to share the stage with such distinguished figures.
The conference concluded with a gala dinner that offered a warm and lively networking opportunity for all participants. This included the TEMS Executive Committee, Board of Governors members, and leaders from various universities, fostering valuable connections and camaraderie across the academic and professional communities in attendance.
IEEE TEMS (Technology and Engineering Management Society) adalah society dari IEEE yang berfokus pada bidang manajemen teknologi dan engineering. TEMS melayani para profesional yang lingkup kerjanya meliputi bidang teknologi dan menajemen, termasuk aspek inovasi, kepemimpinan, dan strategi dalam bisnis berbasis teknologi.
Pertama kali dalam sejarah, IEEE TEMS mengadakan flagship conference di Indonesia. IEEE TEMS Conference Asia-Pacific (TEMSCON ASPAC) diselenggarakan di Bali dari tanggal 25 hingga 26 September, bertempat di Prama Sanur Beach Hotel. Tema konferensi ini, “Achieving Competitiveness in the Age of AI,” mengupas peran transformasional AI dalam bisnis modern dan manajemen rekayasa. Para pemimpin IEEE TEMS, bersama akademisi, pemimpin industri, dan peneliti dari berbagai belahan dunia (bukan hanya kawasan Asia-Pasifik saja), berhimpun mengkaji inovasi terbaru terkait daya saing, manajemen rantai pasok yang berkelanjutan, kebijakan keamanan siber, inovasi kesehatan digital, dan kewirausahaan dalam ekosistem digital.
Pembukaan IEEE TEMSCON ASPAC 2024
Konferensi dibuka dengan sambutan dari Conference Chair, Prof. Andy Chen (Former Presiden IEEE TEMS dan President-Elect IEEE Systems Council). Sesi pembukaan ini juga diisi dengan kata pengantar dari Prof. Andrea Balz (Presiden IEEE TEMS saat ini) dan Prof. Imam Baihaqi (Wakil Rektor ITS Surabaya).
Bersama Prof Benny Tjahjono dan Tim dari Coventry University di Upacara Pembukaan TEMSCON
Keynote speech dibawakan oleh para akademisi: Prof. Richard Dashwood (Vice-Provost for Research and Enterprise dan Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research di Coventry University), Prof. Alexander Brem (Professor dan Vice Rector di University of Stuttgart), serta Prof. Anna Tyshetskaya (Vice Rector di Sankt Petersburg University, Rusia). Setelah pembukaan, konferensi dilanjutkan dengan sesi pemaparan paper-paper hasil riset.
Bersama Prof Richard Dashwood, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research dari Coventry University
Hari kedua konferensi diadakan berupa Industry Forum, yang menghadirkan para ahli untuk membahas tantangan dan peluang AI bagi daya saing global. Keynote speakers dalam forum ini, selain Dr. Ravikiran Annaswamy (Past President of IEEE TEMS) dan Dr. Sudeendra Koushik (President-Elect of IEEE TEMS), juga aku sendiri. Kehormatan tersendiri. Judul presentasiku adalah “Towards Complexity-Based Strategic Management.”
My Keynote Speech
Setelah jeda siang, forum dilanjutkan dengan sesi panel bertajuk “Accelerating Innovation for a Sustainable Future.” Prof. Marc Schlichtner (Principal Key Expert of Siemens) menjadi pembicara utama, dengan Prof. Robert Bierwolf (anggota TEMS Board of Governors) sebagai moderator. Panel ini juga dihadiri para pemimpin ternama di bidang manajemen teknologi dan rekayasa: Prof. Alexander Brem (Professor dan Vice Rector di University of Stuttgart), Prof. Anna Tyshetskaya (Vice Rector di Sankt Petersburg University, Rusia), serta saya sendiri. Suatu kehormatan lagi buatku untuk bisa satu panggung dengan tokoh-tokoh terkemuka ini.
Panel Diskusi
Konferensi ini ditutup dengan gala dinner yang diisi dengan sesi networking yang hangat dan penuh keakraban bagi seluruh peserta, termasuk anggota TEMS Executive Committee, Board of Governors, dan para pemimpin universitas. Acara ini memperkuat koneksi dan kebersamaan di antara komunitas akademik dan profesional yang hadir.
Exploring the ideas about adaptation and emergence as a part of ecosystem (i.e. complex adaptive system — CAS) development, I think it is more exciting when we see it through the combined lenses of CAS, Schumpeter, Kuhn, Foucault, and Lyotard. Each of these perspectives explores how change does not just happen bit by bit, but instead in bold (stolen from Telkom’s five bold moves program) and disruptive leaps, as transformations that completely alter the playing field, whether we’re talking about economies, sciences, societies, or even our basic understanding of the world.
CAS implies that change is a matter of adaptive cycles — cycles of growth, accumulation, collapse, and renewal. An ecosystem could grow, accumulates the resources until hitting a limit. Then its whole structure becomes unsustainable, collapses, and reboots in a new way — it reorganises itself with fresh relationships and opportunities. This cycle is anything but smooth; it’s like a forest fire clearing the way for new growth, and it’s essential for resilience and long-term adaptability. This model resonates closely with Schumpeter’s idea of creative destruction in economies. Schumpeter saw capitalism as a system where innovation doesn’t build up neatly on top of the old but bulldozes it — new technologies, businesses, and products disrupt markets, toppling established companies and paving the way for the next wave of growth. For Schumpeter, entrepreneurs drive this cycle, constantly reinventing the economy and shifting the landscape in unexpected ways.
Thomas Kuhn brought a similar idea into science with his concept of paradigm shifts. In Kuhn’s view, science isn’t a smooth, cumulative process of adding one discovery to the next. Instead, it moves forward in fits and starts. Scientists work within a “paradigm” — a shared framework for understanding the world — until enough anomalies build up that the whole system starts to feel shaky. At that point, someone comes along with a radically new idea that doesn’t just tweak the existing framework but replaces it. Kuhn’s paradigm shift is a profound reimagining of the rules, kind of like Schumpeter’s creative destruction but applied to the way we think and know. It’s as if science periodically wipes the slate clean and rebuilds itself from a fresh perspective.
As a Gen-X, I must also mention Michel Foucault. Foucault offered a more historical spin on these ideas with his concept of epistemes. Foucault believed that every era has its own underlying structure of knowledge, shaping how people perceive and think about the world. These epistemes don’t evolve smoothly; they’re punctuated by abrupt shifts where the entire basis of understanding changes. Just like in a Kuhnian paradigm shift, when a new episteme takes over, it fundamentally changes what questions are even worth asking, as well as who holds power in the discourse. In Foucault’s view, knowledge isn’t just a collection of facts piling up—it’s tied to shifts in power and perspective, with each era replacing the last in a way that’s not fully compatible with what came before.
Then there’s Jean-François Lyotard, who takes the idea a step further by challenging the very idea of cumulative “progress” altogether. As a postmodernist, Lyotard argued that the grand narratives that used to make sense of history, science, and knowledge are breaking down. Instead of one single, upward trajectory, we’re left with multiple, fragmented stories that don’t fit neatly together. Knowledge, for Lyotard, is no longer a matter of moving toward some ultimate truth but an evolving patchwork of perspectives. This rejection of a single narrative echoes Schumpeter’s and Kuhn’s visions of disruption and replacement over seamless continuity. Lyotard’s work suggests that, in knowledge and culture alike, stability is always provisional, subject to the next seismic shift in understanding.
Let’s imagine they can talk together
So when we look at all these thinkers together, a fascinating picture emerges. In CAS, Schumpeter’s economics, Kuhn’s science, Foucault’s history, and Lyotard’s philosophy, progress is not about slowly stacking up ideas or wealth. Instead, it’s about cycles of buildup, breakdown, and renewal — each shift leaving behind remnants of the old and bringing forth something fundamentally new. This kind of progress isn’t just unpredictable; it’s fueled by disruption, tension, and revolution. These thinkers collectively remind us that the most transformative changes come from breaking with the past, not from adding to it. Progress, in this view, is a story of radical leaps, creative destruction, paradigm shifts, and fresh starts—where each new phase is a bold departure from what came before.
The leading role of the IEEE in advancing global science and technology development is undeniable. Still, outside the circles of scientists and engineers, people are more or less blind about the IEEE activities. Interestingly, since the leadership of Prof. Gamantyo Hendrantoro and Dr. Agnes Irwanti in the IEEE Indonesia Section, the publication of IEEE’s scientific discourse has been more widely disseminated to the general public. For two consecutive years, IEEE Indonesia has brought the IEEE President to Indonesia, featuring discussions broadcasted on television to improve the interest of the Indonesian public.
The IEEE President of 2024, Dr Tom Coughlin, paid a visit to Jakarta this week, accompanied by IEEE R10 Director Prof. Lance Fung, IEEE R10 Director-Elect Prof. Takako Hashimoto, IEEE R10 Women-in-Engineering Committee Chair Dr Agnes Irwanti, IEEE Malaysia Section Chair Dr Bernard Lim, and IEEE Indonesia Section Chair Prof. Gamantyo Hendrantoro. As part of the leadership activities, an IEEE briefing was held on the morning of May 14, followed by a talkshow broadcasted by TVRI.
The theme of the talkshow was “Shaping the Future: Women’s Role in Industry” — featuring prominent leaders from the industry, university, government, and the IEEE organisation in the region. One of them is a dear old friend of mine, Elysabeth Damayanti, the OVP of Cybersecurity at Telkom Indonesia. The talkshow started with an opening speech by Dr Agnes, and some keynote speeches from Ms Mira Tayyiba as the General Secretary of the MCI, and Dr Laksana Tri Handoko as the Head of BRIN — the Indonesian governmental centre for research.
As one of the speaker of the talkshow, I started by mentioning the implications of Complexity Science: that we always recognise the diversity of the systems we are working on, where different fields, agents, participants, are all interconnected, resulting in emergence: new values, greater values, surprising values. It is how the Internet and our digital world proliferates, and how both natural ecosystems and business ecosystems sustain. This perspective naturally supports the idea of inclusivity, as different agents from various demographic groups are considered crucial for the survivability and innovativeness of all the systems we are living in, including, surely and crucially, the role of women. It is a key reason to reduce and close the gender disparity.
The WEF has released the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report, mentioning Indonesia in rank 87th out of 146 countries in gender gap. Low enough, but still ahead of some developed countries in Asia, including Japan, China, and South Korea. Indonesian score was about 68% of the gender gap closed — including the relatively low gap in health quality, medium gap in economic participation, and high gap in political empowerment.
We believe that digital transformation that we are developing now, could and should plunge down the disparity. Currently we carry out the digital transformation in strategic & business level to alleviate the economy of the people from the eastern part to the western part of Indonesia; by developing platform, making some piloting implementation with the government, national industry, and then expand it. We work to to enhance MSME business, agriculture, industry, educations, etc, even to remote islands in Indonesia. It is evident, that digital platforms have provided women and men quite equally with wider access to knowledge, services, market & business opportunities. But the transformation must be carefully-planned and deployed with proper education.
Digitalisation in work processes allow us to provide better empowerment for women. It may bypass many social challenges, encouraging women to reduce the unfortunate judgement that are still existing from the traditional norms. Business transformation allow better inclusions in workplaces and business in general. It is also an opportunity for women to aggregate their commitment, capabilities, and opportunities. Use digital services to maximise collaborations, to work in partnership, to be brave take the leadership of the community, to lead the change, and to support each other both in personal level, organisational level, and cross -industry ecosystem.
That is the one of the key. Another key is diversity & uniqueness. So, women should keep their own identity, personality, and mindsets, to preserve different perspectives & values; while opening their mindset to new cultures, different ways of think.
I spent the rest of the time to listen from the honorary speakers of this event. It is one of the most valuable day for me this year, to learn a lot from the wisdoms presented today. Hopefully the IEEE Indonesia Section will continue this valuable activities more and more in the future.
Peran utama IEEE dalam memajukan pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi global tidak dapat disangkal. Namun, di luar kalangan ilmuwan dan insinyur, peran IEEE ini belum banyak dipahami masyarakat. Asyiknya, sejak kepemimpinan Prof. Gamantyo Hendrantoro dan Dr. Agnes Irwanti di IEEE Indonesia Section, publikasi atas diskursus IEEE telah lebih banyak disebarluaskan ke masyarakat umum. Selama dua tahun berturut-turut, IEEE Indonesia telah menghadirkan Presiden IEEE ke Indonesia, menampilkan diskusi yang disiarkan di televisi untuk meningkatkan minat masyarakat Indonesia.
IEEE President 2024, Dr. Tom Coughlin, mengunjungi Jakarta minggu ini, didampingi oleh IEEE R10 Director Prof. Lance Fung, IEEE R10 Director-Elect Prof. Takako Hashimoto, IEEE R10 Women-in-Engineering Committee Chair Dr. Agnes Irwanti, IEEE Malaysia Section Chair Dr. Bernard Lim, dan IEEE Indonesia Section Chair Prof. Gamantyo Hendrantoro. Sebagai bagian dari kegiatan ini, pada tanggal 14 Mei diselenggarakan IEEE briefing, diikuti dengan talkshow yang disiarkan oleh TVRI.
Tema talkshow adalah “Membentuk Masa Depan: Peran Wanita dalam Industri” — menampilkan para pemimpin terkemuka dari industri, universitas, pemerintah, dan organisasi IEEE di kawasan ini. Salah satunya sohib lamaku, Elysabeth Damayanti, OVP Cybersecurity Telkom Indonesia. Talkshow dimulai dengan pembukaan oleh Dr. Agnes, dan beberapa key speeches dari Bu Mira Tayyiba sebagai Sekjen Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika, dan Dr. Laksana Tri Handoko sebagai Kepala BRIN.
Sebagai salah satu pembicara, aku mulai dengan menyebutkan implikasi Complexity Science: bahwa kita selalu mengakui keragaman pada sistem yang kita rancang, dengan bidang ilmu, agen, pemeran, dll yang sangat berbeda namun saling terhubung, dan menghasilkan emergence: hal baru, nilai baru, keunggulan baru, serta hal-hal yang tak teramalkan. Inilah cara Internet dan dunia digital kita berkembang, dan inilah cara ekosistem alam dan ekosistem bisnis bekerja. Perspektif ini mendorong inklusivitas, karena peran yang berbeda dari berbagai kelompok demografis dianggap penting untuk kelangsungan hidup dan inovasi semua sistem yang kita jalani, termasuk peran wanita. Ini adalah alasan utama untuk menurunkan kesenjangan gender.
WEF menebitkan Laporan Kesenjangan Gender Global 2023, yang menempatkan Indonesia di peringkat ke-87 dari 146 negara dalam hal kesenjangan gender. Cukup rendah, tetapi masih di depan beberapa negara maju di Asia, termasuk Jepang, Cina, dan Korea Selatan. Skor Indonesia sekitar 68% dalam hal pengurangan kesenjangan gender — termasuk kesenjangan yang cukup rendah dalam kualitas kesehatan, kesenjangan sedang dalam partisipasi ekonomi, dan kesenjangan tinggi dalam pemberdayaan politik.
Kita yakin bahwa transformasi digital — yang sedang kita kembangkan bersama — dapat digunakan menurunkan kesenjangan tersebut. Saat ini kita mengembangkan transformasi digital di tingkat strategis & bisnis untuk meningkatkan ekonomi masyarakat dari bagian timur hingga barat Indonesia; dengan mengembangkan platform, mengimplementasikan percontohan dengan pemerintah, industri nasional, dan kemudian mengembangkannya. Kita bekerja untuk meningkatkan bisnis UMKM, pertanian, industri, pendidikan, dll, bahkan ke pulau-pulau terpencil di Indonesia. Terbukti, bahwa platform digital telah memberikan akses yang lebih luas kepada semua jenis kelamin secara cukup setara terhadap informasi dan pengetahuan, layanan, peluang pasar & bisnis. Namun, transformasi harus direncanakan dan dilaksanakan dengan hati-hati, disertai upaya pendidikan yang memadai.
Digitalisasi dalam proses kerja memungkinkan kita memberikan pemberdayaan yang lebih baik bagi perempuan. Ini dapat melewati banyak tantangan sosial, mendorong perempuan untuk mengurangi dampak penilaian negatif yang masih ada dari norma-norma tradisional. Transformasi bisnis memungkinkan inklusi yang lebih baik di tempat kerja dan bisnis pada umumnya. Ini juga merupakan peluang bagi perempuan untuk menggabungkan komitmen, kemampuan, dan peluang mereka. Gunakan layanan digital untuk memaksimalkan kolaborasi, bekerja dalam kemitraan, berani memimpin komunitas, memimpin perubahan, dan saling mendukung baik pada tingkat pribadi, tingkat organisasi, maupun ekosistem lintas industri.
Itulah salah satu kuncinya. Kunci lainnya adalah keragaman & keunikan. Perempuan harus menjaga identitas, kepribadian, dan pola pikir mereka sendiri, untuk mempertahankan perspektif & nilai yang berbeda; sambil membuka pikiran mereka terhadap budaya baru, cara berpikir yang berbeda.
Masih banyak waktu kemudian untuk mendengarkan para pembicara super-keren dalam acara ini. Ini salah satu hari paling berhargaku tahun ini: belajar banyak kebijaksanaan. Mudah-mudahan IEEE Indonesia Section terus melanjutkan kegiatan berharga ini lebih banyak lagi di masa depan.
IEEE Briefing was led by the IEEE President of 2024, Dr Tom Coughlin, while he paid a visit to Jakarta this week, accompanied by IEEE R10 Director Prof. Lance Fung, IEEE R10 Director-Elect Prof. Takako Hashimoto, IEEE R10 Women-in-Engineering Committee Chair Dr Agnes Irwanti, IEEE Malaysia Section Chair Dr Bernard Lim, and IEEE Indonesia Section Chair Prof. Gamantyo Hendrantoro. As part of the leadership activities, this IEEE briefing was held on the morning of May 14, followed by a talkshow broadcasted by TVRI.
