In order to develop students’ analytical and leadership skills, the Graduate Program of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) at the Universitas Indonesia (UI), through the course on Strategic Leadership and System Thinking taught by Prof. Dr. Dra. Dumilah Ayuningtyas, M.A.R.S., encourages students to actively observe their surroundings, analyze problems, and find solutions that provide tangible benefits. One result of the students’ active involvement in this course is the development of the chatbot service “TanyAku,” which was created to enhance access to academic information and student organization activities, addressing the need for students to have quick and easy access to information sources.
Innovative Learning Methods This course is designed to train students to think critically and systematically in facing various challenges. Through an interactive learning approach, Prof. Dumilah Ayuningtyas invites students to understand and apply Peter Senge’s 5 Disciplines of a Learning Organization. This concept includes several key elements, which are:
- System Thinking: seeing a problem as a whole system where all parts are interconnected.
- Mental Model: the ability to reflect on oneself and influence actions based on existing assumptions.
- Shared Vision: a unified mission instilled in every individual involved.
- Personal Mastery: continuously deepening one’s personal vision.
- Team Learning: collaborative learning to enhance the team’s capacity.
Throughout the course, students are expected to apply these aspects to identify problems within FPH UI, analyze their root causes, and develop innovative solutions relevant to the faculty’s needs.
Innovation Projects as a Solution Gustian Yondi, a student from the “Amerta” class who led the development of the innovation project, explained that the idea for developing the chatbot stemmed from the experience of new students who struggled to access academic information as the sources were scattered across different platforms. This led to the idea of creating a solution that could provide quick and integrated answers.
The chatbot development process began with an in-depth analysis of frequently asked questions, designing algorithms to ensure the chatbot could provide relevant responses, creating promotional media, and going through several rounds of testing and refinement. Eventually, the chatbot was optimized for use. In addition to providing academic information for graduate students, the chatbot also integrates information on activities organized by the Graduate Student Association (HMP) at FPH UI, making it easier for new students to access the information they need.
The process was not without challenges. Besides the limited time and differing perspectives among the involved parties, Gustian Yondi mentioned that data collection posed its own challenge: “The process of collecting valid and relevant data was very challenging. Each party had different preferences and needs, so we needed to ensure that the data we collected could truly be used,” he said.
Support and Expectations from the Faculty Prof. Tyas, during the official handover of the “TanyAku” chatbot innovation project to the Vice Dean 1, which took place on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at the FPH UI Building A, expressed her gratitude, stating that FPH UI, with its graduates who will be MIRACLE (with L standing for Leader), continues to grow with the support of the leadership, and now students are able to leave behind a beneficial legacy, demonstrating that the best leaders are those who provide benefits to others.
On this occasion, the Vice Dean 1 of FPH UI, Dr. Ir. Asih Setiarini, M.Sc., responded positively and appreciated the innovation produced by the students of the “Amerta” class as the implementation of the learning process led by Prof. Tyas. “Thank you so much for the innovations that have been proposed. This is very important for FPH UI, considering that innovation is one of the indicators of assessment that will support the improvement of FPH UI’s services and management system,” she said. According to her, innovation is a key factor in FPH UI’s success in achieving ISO 9001 certification for its management system in 2017 and WBK certification in 2021, and she hopes that it will continue.
This learning program is expected to have a significant impact on the FPH UI environment. The projects produced by students not only provide practical solutions but also have the potential to act as a catalyst for fostering an innovation culture among future students. Furthermore, Dr. Asih is very much looking forward to more innovations from the Strategic Leadership and System Thinking course. (wrk)