To improve student competence and the quality of graduates, universities can put in place a mechanism through Competency Strengthening Courses (MKPK). At Hasanuddin University (Unhas), MKPK was first introduced in the 2023 Curriculum (K23).
MKPK are courses whose learning activities take place outside the study program, within the university and/or outside the university. Under this mechanism, students are required to complete 20 credits (SKS) in non-health disciplines and 10 credits in health disciplines. These learning activities can be recognized by converting “activity hours” into equivalent credits.
Unhas held its 2026 Workshop on Strengthening MKPK Implementation for Learning Transformation and an SDG-Based Impactful Campus (Kampus Berdampak) at the Unhas Hotel & Convention on Monday (2 March).
The event was attended by all faculty deans and heads of study programs as part of strengthening the institutional commitment to building a learning system that is relevant, adaptive, and has a real impact on society and the world of work.
Unhas Rector Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc., stressed that the workshop is one of the strategic keys to preparing the future of Unhas graduates.
“Our graduates will be far better prepared if they truly understand the world of work. There is still much that we have not fully provided in the classroom, so there needs to be a stronger understanding of what the real world is actually like,” said Prof. JJ.
Strengthening MKPK aims to increase students’ capacity and skills, build a strong transition from campus to the world of work, and produce graduates who are able to compete and adapt.
“Our responsibility is not only to prepare them to look for jobs, but also to create jobs. Students must be able to see how industry builds businesses, reads opportunities, and creates jobs,” the Rector continued.
Graduates are expected to be able to meet the needs of industry while also becoming productive individuals who make a real contribution to national development.
Meanwhile, the Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. drg. Muhammad Ruslin, M.Kes., Ph.D., Sp.BM(K)., emphasized that MKPK is a strategic platform for shaping students into agents of change, innovators, and future leaders who have integrity and are committed to national and humanitarian values.
Prof. Ruslin also explained the strong link between MKPK and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
MKPK serves as a vehicle for implementing SDG values in learning, so that the campus becomes not only an academic center but also a center of social transformation. For this reason, MKPK must be strengthened down to the faculty level. MKPK is not merely a central program, but a shared movement at the faculty and study program levels that requires the collective commitment of all leadership elements and the entire academic community.
The workshop is part of the Unhas commitment to building an impactful campus that produces graduates who are not only academically excellent but also adaptive, globally competitive, entrepreneurial, and making a real contribution to sustainable development. (*/dhs)
Editor: Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.