Jakarta. Stephanie Riady, the president of Pelita Harapan University, recently highlighted the importance of impactful educational leadership at the Global Sustainable Congress 2026.

This forum brought together leaders from higher education, research, government, industry, and global stakeholders to accelerate the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Held from June 22–25, 2026, at ICE BSD, the forum provided a space for dialogue on the future of education and sustainable development.

"Educational leadership must begin with the ability to build collaborations that empower educators, students, and the community. In the midst of an era of disruption, education needs to be adaptive to prepare future talent and build systems that are relevant to the needs of modern society," Stephanie said.

"Leadership is not just about leading others, but also about developing them through education that shapes character, helps students find their purpose in life, and encourages the emergence of agents of change in the community."

To this end, UPH has implemented various learning programs, including the Service Learning Community (SLC) program, which involves over 900 students in projects on health, education, and environmental sustainability. This program is part of the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, which integrates education, research, and community service as a complementary and impactful whole.

"Education shapes people, research generates solutions, and community service ensures tangible benefits. All three are interconnected in a complete cycle," Stephanie said.

Education must also provide space for diverse leadership styles.

"One thing I've learned is that potential isn't always immediately apparent. Some people lead with confidence and strong communication skills, but others demonstrate leadership through wisdom, consistency, empathy, and service," Stephanie said.

UPH has built a structured leadership development ecosystem for both lecturers and students.
For lecturers, development is carried out through competency pathways, mentoring, professional development, and various leadership opportunities in various fields. For students, leadership is developed early on through peer mentoring, research, and opportunities in various fields, including STEM.

There is also a need to narrow the gap between industry needs and the education system.

"UPH continues to strengthen this role through cross-disciplinary curriculum development, partnerships with more than 150 industry partners, strengthening applied research, and developing student startups, internship programs, and various experiential learning initiatives," Stephanie said.

Some of these initiatives include Smart STEM Indonesia, which reaches 10 million students and 1 million teachers. UPH has also set up a center for teachning and learning for lecturer development. There is also Campuspreneur to encourage export-oriented young entrepreneurs, as well as "human development training".  As well as Sparklabs Incubation for student startup development, and the UPH Investment Gallery in collaboration with Sucor Securities to strengthen students' investment literacy and experience in the capital market.

“Transformative leadership means being a servant leader. We need to build an education system together with educators, students, and the community, and open up space for diverse perspectives to create a more inclusive and sustainable future,” Stephanie said.

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