International Seminar by Unismuh Makassar Faculty Discusses the Role of Millennials in Agricultural Transformation

UNISMUH.AC.ID, MAKASSAR — The Faculty of Agriculture (Faperta) of Universitas Muhammadiyah (Unismuh) Makassar held an International Seminar titled “Millennials Building the Future of Agriculture” in conjunction with the opening of the Dean Cup VIII, Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at Iqra I Gift Building, 2nd Floor.

The event featured speakers from Malaysia and Indonesia to strengthen students' understanding of the challenges and opportunities of technological, green, and social innovation in the agricultural sector.

Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Unismuh Makassar, Dr. Ir. Andi Khaeriyah, in his opening remarks, stated that the Dean Cup was not just an annual event, but a space to strengthen emotional and institutional relationships within the faculty.

He noted that the atmosphere of the 8th Dean Cup was different because it was for the first time combined with an international seminar. "Collaboration between faculty leadership and student organizations is essential to successfully implement every student agenda," he said.

The international seminar was one implementation of cooperation between the Faculty of Agriculture, Unismuh Makassar and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia. The event was attended by students from various study programs as a step to encourage the role of the millennial and Gen Z generation in transforming agriculture through strengthening knowledge, networking, and cross-institutional collaboration.

Three key speakers were present, namely Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Nor Azma Yusuf (Deputy Dean of Academic Affairs, UiTM Malaysia), Ir. Bachtiar Mandjeng (Chairman of the Sulawesi Selatan Branch of the Association of Agricultural Graduates Indonesia), and Dr. Amiruddin (Lecturer in Agricultural Business, Unismuh Makassar).

In his presentation, Dr. Nor Azma emphasized that students have great opportunities to contribute to agricultural innovation, even if not all have a technology background. "We see what we have, what our skills are. We don't necessarily have to be genius in IoT. We can learn little by little and still contribute to the agricultural sector of the country," he said.

He also encouraged students to maximize campus and community platforms to hone their skills and expand their networks. According to him, agricultural innovation can be realized through digital farming solutions, biotechnology, and social entrepreneurship.

Ir. Bachtiar Mandjeng, Chairman of the Sulawesi Selatan Branch of PSPI, also motivated the participants by emphasizing the importance of self-capability. "If our friends have good knowledge, skills, and attitude, the grace of God will chase them," he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Amiruddin highlighted the declining interest of the younger generation in the agricultural sector. He stated that most farmers are now elderly, while many graduates choose to work in other sectors. "This phenomenon intrigues us all. Our farmers are old farmers. The question is, where are the millennials that we always mention?" he said.

He also mentioned the conversion of agricultural land into non-agricultural areas as a threat to production sustainability. In the context of agricultural digitalization, he stated that the presence of young farmers is key to making the transformation of agriculture effective. This, he said, opens opportunities for students to actively participate in the five subsystems of agricultural business.

The Chairman of the BEM of the Faculty of Agriculture, Unismuh Makassar, Rilian Cahya Mutmainnah, explained that the theme of millennials was deliberately raised to rekindle the enthusiasm of agricultural students. She stated that although they are now in the Gen Z era, the character of this generation still has the potential to be "millennial farmers".

Rilian added that the combination of the international seminar with the opening of the Dean Cup was done for efficiency and to provide wider benefits. According to her, if separated, the enthusiasm of the participants could be different. The combination of the two was deemed able to strengthen the academic aspect while maintaining the vibrancy of the annual faculty activities.

From an organizational perspective, the organizers faced some technical challenges because it was the first time using the Iqra Gift Building as a seminar location. These challenges were overcome through close coordination with the university's IT team. To increase the number of participants, the organizers also coordinated with faculty leadership and program heads to direct some lectures to the location of the event.

The international seminar was the opening of the 8th Dean Cup, which will take place for several days. The organizers hoped that the event could strengthen student networks, improve competence, and foster the concern of the younger generation towards the sustainability of agriculture in the future.