UNAIR NEWS – Director of PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA), Antonius Widodo Mulyono, shared strategies in strengthening student capability in a guest lecture at the Ternate Hall, ASEEC Tower Building, Dharmawangsa-B Campus, on Friday (October 9, 2026). This guest lecture titled “Sharpening Your Edge: Skills and Attitude for the Next Chapter” focusing on the building resilience in young generations.
This guest lecture aimed to prepare students to navigate the BANI era (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, Incomprehensible). This era describes a world that is fragile, triggering anxiety, non-linear, and difficult to understand. Mulyono noted that the dynamics of the BANI era often leads to the “post-truth” phenomenon, meaning that lies that are constantly shared online are believed to be the truth. These conditions require students to have mental resilience and strong critical thinking skills.
In his presentation, Mulyono highlighted that the higher education enrollment rate in Indonesia currently stands at only 11 to 12 percent. This situation placed students in a special position that carried a moral responsibility to share positive impacts to the society. “Students should not merely be smart or prosperous on their own, they must be able to share positive impacts to their surrounding society,” Mulyono emphasized.
Originate intelligence and growth mindset
Addressing these challenges, Mulyono believes that the young generation is not a weak group. He emphasized the importance of sharpening originate intelligence and adopting a growth mindset so that students are capable of viewing failure as an opportunity for growth. “I don’t believe that Gen Z is a weak generation. Gen Z can prove that they are a resilience generation,” he said.
Beside mentality aspects, Mulyono also shared the importance of consistency in attitude and integrity when entering professional work settings. He explained that governance in BCA is based on the value of professionalism and a pure meritocracy, without any room for nepotism. “It is your attitude and character, not just your talent or intelligence that will determine how far you go in the future,” Mulyono added.
To conclude, Mulyono encouraged UNAIR’s academic community to have courage to seize opportunity, whether through careers in industry or through entrepreneurship. The courage to start one’s own business is seen as a concrete step toward creating jobs and driving the national economy. Through the Bakti BCA program, the company is committed to continuing to support young generations as they grow into Ksatria Airlangga who are adaptable, possess integrity and make positive impacts for Indonesia.
Author: Nabila Afifah Abida
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
