We should give a standing ovation to our minister of education, Nadiem Makarim. He realizes that students nowadays are not suitable anymore to accept 'long speech' from their teacher/lecture as their course modules. In his opinion, there are more important things than that. 

Nadiem Makarim said students need to be more active in participating in real projects to develop critical thinking. He says that involving and collaborating means that students are studying academically and need to 'sinking' directly in the 'wide ocean'. 

Through his innovation called 'Kampus Merdeka', students and lecturers are equally allowed to understand the actual working life outside academic institutions, digging, and showing inner potential during the three-first semesters. 

What is Kampus Merdeka?

According to Media Neliti, Freedom to learn is a new policy program of the Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC) of the Republic of Indonesia. It was launched by the Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud), Nadiem Anwar Makarim. "Freedom to learn is the Freedom of thought. Furthermore, especially the essence of Freedom of thought, this must be in the teacher first. Without occur in teachers, are unlikely to occur the student," said Nadiem in discussions National Standard of Education, at Century Park, Central Jakarta on Friday, December 13, 2019. 

The teachers must precede the essence of Freedom of thought before they teach the students. He also mentioned the competence of teachers at any level, without any process of translation from basic competence and the existing curriculum. There will never be learning that occurs. MOEC launched the Freedom to understand policy, intended for higher education titled "Kampus Merdeka".

The launch of the Kampus Merdeka program is delivered by Mendikbud to the media in higher education (HE) policy coordination meeting at Building D Kemendikbud office, Jakarta, Friday (24/01/2020). "This is an early stage to shed the shackles make it easier to move. We still have not touched the aspects of quality. There will be some matrix that will be used to help the college achieve its goals," he said. 

Mendikbud has also explained, "The Kampus Merdeka Policy is a continuation of the concept of Freedom to learn. The execution is most likely to occur soon, changing the minister's regulation, not changing government regulation or law. Kampus Merdeka lately becomes the center of attention for the education circle in Indonesia. How not, since it has been launched, it has hypnotized the entire educational community in Indonesia. The Kampus Merdeka is believed to be an attempt to free the education system that supports students and lecturers in achieving quality learning meaningful to face the disruption of the current era."

Why students need Kampus Merdeka? 

To meet the demands, current changes, and the need to connect and match with the world of business and industry, and to prepare students in the world of work, universities are required to be able to design and implement innovative learning so students can achieve learning outcomes including aspects of attitudes, knowledge, and skills optimally. The Kampus Merdeka Policy is expected to be the answer to these demands. The Kampus Merdeka is a form of learning in higher education that is autonomous and flexible to create an innovative learning culture, not limiting and following student needs. 

Learning activities outside college include apprenticeship/work practices, projects in the villages, teaching in schools, student exchange, research, entrepreneurial training, study/independent projects, and humanitarian projects in which lecturers must guide all activities. The Kampus Merdeka is expected to provide a contextual field experience to increase college student competence and be ready to work. The learning process in the Kampus Merdeka is one embodiment of student-centered learning.

Kampus Merdeka for better education in the future

Learning in the Kampus Merdeka provides challenges and opportunities for the development of creativity, capacity, personality, and the students' needs. It can also develop self-reliance in the search for and discover knowledge through reality and market dynamics such as capability requirements, problems real, social interaction, collaboration, self-management, performance demands, targets, and achievements. The Kampus Merdeka is expected to respond to the challenges of HE to produce graduates with the development of science and technology and the demands of the business world and the world of industry.