In conversation with
Prof Dr H.Andi Mustari Pide,S.H

Higher Education Spotlight: What inspired you to create Ekasakti University?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: Before founding Ekasakti, I had a long and successful career as a businessman. But success in business does not necessarily make a successful person. It’s more important to make a contribution to people’s lives and society. When I realised this, moving into education made sense to me. I knew it is the way to find real satisfaction in life.

Ekasakti University evolved in step with my own interest in education. It began life as a vocational academy in 1973, before progressing to a college in 1980. Finally, the institution became Ekasakti University in 1984. I am extraordinarily proud of what we have achieved so far.

What were the most difficult challenges you faced when first opening the institution?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: Raising public interest was certainly a challenge at first. The people of Padang were wary of a man from Makassar opening an academy in their city! Differences in language and culture threatened to get in the way, but my wife is from Padang. I have an appreciation for this part of the country to which people, eventually, responded. The prizes I have received from West Sumatra and North Sumatra attest to it. My social-psychological approach to education has won me, and Ekasakti, endless recognition.

How would you describe the identity, or DNA, of Ekasakti University?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: This question makes me think of the difficulty I had naming the university. There were many options, but none captured the spirit of what I envisioned. In the end, inspiration struck on a flight from Jakarta to Padang. I looked down and saw Palembang. It seemed at first to be one huge entity, but as we got closer it revealed itself to be made up of thousands upon thousands of smaller things. I thought of how true this is of many things in the world, not least a university. And how do we manage these small things in order to make something greater? With the strength of our minds and spirit. Where do these come from? The power of God. That’s what Ekasakti means: ‘the power of God’.
At Ekasakti we think a lot about the difference between right and wrong. We can use the strength of our minds to manage the world. That is science. But we must not leave this to the head alone. It is our job to engage the heart.

How will growing tourism in Padang affect education here?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: At its heart, education is cooperation. It is about recognising that we can’t do it alone. So, if we want to grow with tourism, we need to understand other cultures. We need to be open and welcome. This will come in time with a broad cultural change in Padang.
A West Sumatran proverb says, “When you are alive, you must focus on thought. In the afterlife, faith will take care of you.” I take this as my personal philosophy, and share it with others to encourage them to pay attention to the impact of their thinking.

What kind of partnerships are you creating with industry and other universities?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: We have collaborated with one of West Sumatra’s biggest companies, PT. Semen Padang. They provide internships for our economics students, while local government and courts provide opportunities for students of other programs.

We have agreements outside Indonesia as well. We cooperate with ASEAN universities like UKM in Malaysia, and others in Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. We are keen on internationalising. Our Global Education conference had more than 500 participants, over 100 of whom were from beyond ASEAN.

How can Indonesian higher education institutions compete globally?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: Ekasakti competes with other countries through quality assurance. Of our 22 programs, 20 have national accreditation and we are working on the other two. A growing roster of relevant programs is vital. We plan to add two totally new undergraduate programs very soon— one in engineering, and another in agriculture.

President Jokowi is planning a sovereign fund for postgraduate education. Do you have any plans to open postgraduate programs?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: We will open two master’s programs, one in management and another in agriculture. After that, we will work on developing a PhD program for law.

Ethics are important in every sector and walk of life. What is your ethical responsibility to the community?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: We must first ensure that our students coexist peacefully. Friction occurs because people have many different missions in life, and they don’t always align. Following Indonesian higher education regulations, all our students must study the Indonesian language, religion, citizenship, and Pancasila. Pancasila is the state philosophy, meaning many beliefs under one God.

Following Pancasila, we believe in unity through diversity. Our work in the community has ethical goals. We aid the local government in their fight against corruption, and ethical distribution of finance. I am proud of being Indonesian. I want the Indonesian people to feel satisfied with their lives.

You have built up an incredible career from humble beginnings. What is your advice to future students in Indonesia and around the world?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: They must ask themselves, “What is work? What work do I want to do? What are my desires?” The purpose of education is to help someone achieve their desires. They must know what those are first.

If we want anything in our lives, we need knowledge, skill, and the right attitude. Planting a tree requires knowledge. Growing anything meaningful in our lives requires knowledge.

What can we expect from Ekasakti in the next ten years?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: Our ten year plan is to develop campuses all over West Sumatra. I want to reach as much of this province as possible. How will we get to the point that we can do this? There are many ways, but I encourage my staff to keep studying and developing themselves. Improved human resources and infrastructure will take us far.

I take my role as leader seriously, and have full confidence in the ability of my team to learn from me. My legacy will be their ability to manage and teach people with my combination of business and academic approaches.

How do you plan to attract international students to Ekasakti?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: I have plans to attract ASEAN students via exchanges with universities in Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei. We have many new MoUs planned, and hope to establish double degrees with universities abroad.

What are the proudest moments from your long and impressive career?

Prof. Dr. H. Andi Mustari Pide: I am extremely proud of the students this university has produced. Our students have become successful entrepreneurs who have grown the economy, with the skills to work anywhere in the world. I’m so proud that we have graduates whose achievements even exceed my own.

That said, when I meet Ekasakti alumni in my travels, I still pester them to continue their studies. I want all our students to end up with PhDs!