A recent announcement by Indonesia’s Education Minister reignited a familiar debate: national exams are making a comeback in 2026, this time in a new format. After being abolished in 2021, the reintroduction of the Ujian Nasional (UN) is said to be part of an effort to re-establish educational standards across the country. Reading this news […]
What China’s Gaokao Can Teach Us About National Exams and Inequality Read More »
Berita terbaru dari Menteri Pendidikan Indonesia kembali menghidupkan perdebatan lama: Ujian Nasional (UN) akan diberlakukan kembali pada tahun 2026, kali ini dengan versi baru. Setelah sempat dihapuskan pada tahun 2021, kebijakan ini disebut sebagai upaya untuk mengembalikan standar pendidikan nasional. Membaca berita ini membawa saya kembali ke masa sekolah dulu—masa-masa penuh tekanan, latihan soal tanpa
Pelajaran dari Gaokao (SNBT-nya Tiongkok) tentang Ujian Nasional dan Ketimpangan Read More »
Two weeks ago, a startup founder came to me with a puzzle: their traditional marketing was working well, but their digital presence was getting zero traction. One look at their website and social media told me everything. They’d fallen into what I call the generalist trap—one of the most common pitfalls I’ve observed while advising
The Generalist Trap: Why Specialization Matters for New Businesses Read More »
When I visited Singapore for the first time, what struck me the most was how great its urban planning is. As a tiny, densely populated country, I expected to see a big city cramped by concrete blocks with very few trees, but I found something like a small town instead, with plenty of public spaces
Singapore’s Land Policy: The Foundation of Urban Success Read More »
In the last three months, I have been working with Indonesia’s Labour Force Survey (Sakernas) data for my study assignments. It’s been a tiring process because the variable names change every few years, and some variables, such as education, income, KBJI, and KBLI, have different structures in different years. Yes, there are documents from BPS
Notes on Indonesia’s Labor Force Survey (Sakernas) Data 2013-2023 Read More »
