Jakarta, 27 April, 2026 – The Deputy Minister of Creative Economy/Deputy Head of the Creative Economy Agency, Irene Umar, emphasized that higher education institutions play a strategic role in building a creative entrepreneurship ecosystem. According to her, creativity is an unlimited resource that can drive future economic growth.
The Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, delivered a keynote speech at the forum “The Role of Higher Education Institutions on Creative Entrepreneurship Promotion and Strategies and Creative Arts Exhibition” at Deakin University Lancaster University Indonesia (DULUI), Bandung, on Monday (27/4/2026).
This was conveyed during the forum “The Role of Higher Education Institutions on Creative Entrepreneurship Promotion and Strategies and Creative Arts Exhibition” at Deakin University Lancaster University Indonesia (DULUI), Bandung, on Monday (27/4).
“Our greatest challenge is to explain that the creative economy is the new engine of global growth. The world is changing very rapidly, and we must adapt accordingly. Therefore, universities such as DULUI play an important role as a ‘safe space’ to experiment before entering the real world. This is where we are allowed to fail, learn, and grow,” she stated.
Documentation: Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
Irene Umar also emphasized that technological advancements, including artificial intelligence (AI), cannot replace human values. She highlighted that the fundamental strength of human beings lies in creativity, which is rooted in integrity, empathy, and curiosity.
“Many are concerned about being replaced by AI. However, the greatest strength of human beings lies in the heart—integrity, empathy, and curiosity. I would like to emphasize the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration. All fields must work together. Indonesia has the strength of mutual cooperation and a rich culture; culture is the ‘source code’ of our creative economy. The government is ready to open spaces, including public facilities, as ‘laboratories’ to test your ideas. Let us work together to build a better world through the creative economy,” she explained.
Documentation: Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
The forum carried the theme of the role of higher education institutions in promoting creative entrepreneurship and its development strategies. It also served as a platform for dialogue among academics, students, and stakeholders to strengthen cross-sector collaboration.
The Rector and President of DULUI, Professor Greg Barton, stated that collaboration between countries and institutions is key to advancing human resource development. He also highlighted the importance of reverse brain drain efforts to attract Indonesian talent abroad to return home.
“We believe we can play a role in this process of change by working together and collaborating. We also look forward to the opportunity to introduce postgraduate programs here as part of efforts to build human resource capacity in Indonesia, which currently shows great promise,” he stated.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency
