Jakarta. About 29 students from Pelita Harapan University, commonly shortened as UPH, get a chance of gaining hands-on experience in the media industry by joining a one semester-long internship program at BeritaSatu Media Holdings or BSMH.

The internship is part of the Kampus Merdeka ('Independent Campus') program — Education Minister Nadiem Makarim's brainchild to make university students get a better understanding of the workplace and promote the link-and-match between the industry and academia. 

"UPH is a campus without borders. We provide holistic education. By holistic, we do not only teach our students intellectually and academically but also emotionally, socially while also honing their readiness to join the workforce," Yayasan Pendidikan Pelita Harapan executive director Stephanie Riady said at the UPH-BSMH Kampus Merdeka internship launch in Jakarta on Monday.

The event saw the signing of a memorandum of agreement between BSMH and UPH.

Stephanie said the inked agreement would enable more UPH students to take an internship program at BSMH.

"Education is not only about lecturer-student or student-student relationships but also between university and industry. We hope for more synergy with BSMH in the future," she added.

According to BSMH president commissioner Enggartiasto Lukita, the program is part of the company's talent scouting. 

"We will welcome those who have the will and dedication to work at this company. The government wants the young generation to create jobs. So for those seeking to become entrepreneurs, we will certainly help. [As we know,] the media business is incredibly vast," Enggar told the UPH students.

The Kampus Merdeka program enables university students to get a grasp of the world of work they are about to enter, according to the Education Ministry. 

"The world of work has rapidly shifted in this decade due to advances in technology, knowledge, and the work environment due to industry 4.0. For students to be able to enter the world of work, universities cannot work alone. They must also join forces with the industry," the ministry's acting director general for higher education, research, and technology Nizam said.