SBM ITB aims to educate students to become innovative and entrepreneurial leaders and develop and disseminate business and management knowledge to advance business, government, and society. One deeply involved in this vision is Yorga Permana, Ph.D., an SBM ITB lecturer who dreams of mobilizing human capital always to impact innovation and value creation.
Journey as an Organizational Activist
Since high school, Yorga has shown leadership talent. As chairman of the Student Council (OSIS) at SMAN 3 Bandung in 2007, he found a calling to learn to be a leader. In college, he continued to hone these skills by becoming Head of the Public Policy Department at KM ITB in 2012. At the master’s and doctoral levels, he was active in organizations in PPI Netherlands and PPI United Kingdom, focusing on education, research, and strategic studies.
“After all, we are part of the creative minority. Of the hundreds of millions of Indonesians, few have the opportunity to study at ITB, let alone abroad. Therefore, there is a responsibility to make an impact. Not only by gaining knowledge but also by providing value,” said Yorga in Bandung on Thursday (18/7).
Yorga majored in Industrial Engineering Management at ITB and wrote a thesis on mentoring MSMEs. Here, he discovered that the key to business success lies in innovation and that the human aspect is the driving force.
“No matter how big a business opportunity is, if the people are not ready, it won’t succeed. Manage the people first. When innovation and technology are introduced, these tools can help people be more productive,” he explained.
During his bachelor’s degree, Yorga interned at BRIN (formerly BPPT), researching the impact of innovation and technology on Indonesia’s economic growth. These experiences sparked his interest in research on innovation and human capital development.
Continuing Education Abroad
He gained valuable experience during his master’s studies with an LPDP scholarship in innovation science at Eindhoven University of Technology in 2015. Yorga’s thesis focused on the impact of innovation on economic inequality.
“My research findings confirm that innovation and technological change will only benefit a few people if not directed well. There will be winners and losers in our society,” said Yorga.
His experience was further enriched during his doctoral studies at the London School of Economics (LSE) from 2019 to 2024, focusing on the Gig Economy. Yorga’s research examines the impact of digital technology and the platform economy on job creation in Indonesia.
“Some people can use the opportunity to work in the digital economy as a stepping stone to move up economically. However, many are trapped in this new work pattern without decent wages and working conditions. This is the focus of my dissertation,” said Yorga.
During his studies at LSE, he discovered an ideal academic culture in research and teaching. According to Yorga, discussing ideas and research must become a daily conversation on campus.
“In my department, we gather every week for a work-in-progress seminar. Lecturers and students critique each other’s research methodology and results in turn. We need to implement this at SBM ITB,” he said.
In teaching, the culture of reading and writing based on critical thinking left a lasting impression on him. Before class, students must pre-read the material so they enter class prepared.
“For learning assessments, almost all courses require students to write essays of thousands of words. This forges our writing, arguing, and critical thinking skills,” continued Yorga.
While pursuing his Ph.D. in London, Yorga co-founded Doctrine UK, an epistemic community for over 500 Indonesian doctoral students in the UK. With Doctrine UK, Yorga and his colleagues created a platform for young Indonesian researchers to share and collaborate, aiming to impact the academic community in the UK and Indonesia positively. He believes Indonesia’s research progress hinges on academics collaborating and supporting each other.
Become an Educator and Value Driver
Graduating from LSE in early 2024, Yorga returned to SBM ITB as a People and Knowledge Management lecturer. He hopes to continue his research on innovation and human capital. He believes it’s time for business schools to focus more on policies related to innovation, human resource development, and job creation.
“Business schools must talk more about decent work. The ESG concept includes not only the planet but also people and society. Business schools must encourage companies to create beneficial value for their employees. Concepts like workplace well-being, employee engagement, and learning and development are becoming increasingly relevant,” he said.
“Business schools must also encourage their graduates to innovate and create added value continuously. SBM ITB graduates must contribute to creating decent jobs in the future. “Be it directly through entrepreneurship or indirectly by taking on the role of an innovator in their respective professional sectors and workplaces.”
Future Dreams
For Yorga, becoming a lecturer is a valuable milestone. His true success lies in developing others.
“My mission is achieved if my presence positively impacts many people. I enjoy my role as a lecturer: supervising, teaching, and helping students grow and learn,” he said.
In the future, Yorga aspires to be more than just a campus lecturer. He wants to be involved in policy, innovation, and people development.
“There are still few technocratic solutions from academics that link HR concepts, innovation policies, and job creation,” concluded Yorga.