REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo has underlined the importance for universities to have a co-working space to facilitate innovative development.

"It is importance for universities to have a co-working space where students and lecturers could work together to create innovative or new ideas," he said in his speech, at the closing of the national dialog of the Association of Private Universities at Esa Unggul University campus here, on Wednesday.

He stated that besides providing interaction among academic members, the co-working space could also be used for interaction between different faculties or even with private businesses to meet challenges in the real world.

Co-working space, as a place to interact, could also be used to expand networking to provide opportunities for innovators to receive funding from the private sector, he added.

"It is very interesting to note how the funding could be secured for an innovation to be developed to enter the industry. It means not all efforts must be funded by universities, but they may also involve private parties, such as banks, packaging, marketing, logistics, and other kinds of companies," the president remarked.

He noted that universities may not follow routine methods of education, but they must focus on development in the current digital era.

"None has so far had the courage to open a digital economic faculty, an online shop faculty, retail management, logistics management, or 'meme' faculties. It is not impossible for a meme economy to be developed," he explained.

Widodo pointed out that the key to progress depends on how educational institutes could encourage and develop innovations and creative skills from their students.

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