The importance of student organizations for master’s students is often underestimated. Recognizing this necessity, Dwi Larso, Associate Professor at SBM ITB, along with several MBA students, initiated plans to establish the ITB MBA Student Association (ASOMBA). This student organization was officially established on November 12, 2015, with Rangga Muslim as its first president.
Several years post-graduation, Rangga was once again called upon to initiate an MBA organization, this time catering to alumni. On June 11, 2021, Rangga was formally appointed as the first chairman of the MBA Alumni Association (IA-MBA ITB).
“There’s nothing I dislike about studying at MBA ITB,” remarked Rangga during a Thursday interview (20/4).
Coming from a visual communications background, Rangga felt his career required a different dimension for growth. When offered a position as a creative director, Rangga opted to enroll in the MBA Entrepreneurship program. For him, interacting with students and lecturers from diverse backgrounds was the highlight of his MBA ITB journey.
Upon assuming the presidency of ASOMBA in 2015, Rangga was resolute in establishing a robust foundation for the nascent organization.
“My primary objective at ASOMBA was to establish communication networks.”
Various communication channels such as LINE groups, websites, and Instagram accounts were instituted to facilitate information exchange among ASOMBA members. Rangga stressed that a strong organization is one where members are interconnected.
“What good is a commendable program if no one is aware of it?” he questioned.
Besides serving as the chairman of the student association, Rangga also serves as an academic mentor for his peers. During his tenure as a mentor, he encountered challenges in reaching out to alumni possessing specialized skills to facilitate certain discussions. Meanwhile, the existing Alumni Association (IA-SBM) was deemed inadequate in representing MBA needs.
This prompted discussions on establishing an MBA-SBM ITB alumni association. To address alumni relationship needs, Nurlaela “Lala” Arief, as Head of Commonucation, Admission, and Industrial Relations at SBM ITB, initiated the establishment of IA-MBA in 2021, with Rangga elected as the first chairman.
“I aim to organize activities for alumni, particularly recent graduates. Especially for entrepreneurs (MBA Entrepreneurship graduates), networking is crucial for business development.”
Currently, IA-MBA hosts several alumni chat groups on WhatsApp and Telegram with hundreds of members. IA-MBA continually shares industry-related content such as market trends, job openings, seminars, and business research findings with alumni chat groups. Additionally, IA-MBA regularly organizes educational and networking events. Looking ahead, Rangga envisions an integrated database for MBA and Management Science (SM) alumni.
“I envision synergy among Master’s students,” he articulated.
Rangga boasts the vast collaborative potential within the SBM community, particularly among MBAs. He personally believes that collaboration between MBA and SM alumni will have a nationwide impact on Indonesia.
“I warmly welcome anyone interested in exploring these opportunities,” expressed Rangga.
Upon the conclusion of his term in 2025, Rangga aspires for an MBA alumnus from Jakarta to succeed him. He laments the separation of MBA Jakarta alumni post-graduation. Appointing an alumni chair from the Jakarta campus could serve as a means to embrace Jakarta alumni and ensure their continued connectivity.
