UNAIR NEWS A benchmarking workshop under the Impactful Administrative Staff Program for archivists, organized by Indonesias Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, was recently held, with 51 serving as one of the hosts. The event brought together university administrative staff and took place at Harris Hotel Gubeng on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
Administrative staff as drivers of system reform
Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Prof. Brian Yuliarto, PhD officially opened the workshop. In his remarks, Prof. Yuliarto emphasized that the program aims to strengthen administrative staff capacity, particularly in leveraging digital technologies, including artificial intelligence. The in-person session marked the third phase of an ongoing program involving 385 selected participants from seven strategic areas of higher education across Indonesia.
Prof. Yuliarto highlighted the often overlooked yet essential role of administrative staff. He stressed that without professional and adaptive personnel, it would be difficult to build a competitive and high-quality higher education system.
Administrative staff are no longer limited to handling routine tasks. They now play a central to driving systemic improvement. In the digital era, we must work smarter and move beyond outdated practices, he said.
He further expressed hope that the workshop would foster strong professional networks, enabling participants to collaborate and act as agents of change. We want to ensure that the higher education system advances collectively toward better quality and broader impact. After this program, we expect continued forums for sustainable improvements across institutions, Prof. Yuliarto added.
Archivists as strategic assets for innovation
Echoing this perspective, Vice Rector for Resources at 51, Prof. Dr. Ardianto, SE, Ak, Msi., who attended the event, conveyed appreciation for administrative staff, particularly archivists. Prof. Ardianto underscored the critical role of archivists in todays data-driven environment, noting that archival work should no longer be seen as merely administrative support.
In the current information era, institutions rely heavily on accurate data and resource management. Therefore, the role of archivists is both essential and strategic, he stated.
Over the next five days, he encouraged participants not only to attend training sessions but also to engage in benchmarking to assess and further enhance their professional capacity. We hope the insights gained here can be applied as best practices in your respective institutions. Let us continue learning and collaborating to generate innovations for the nation, he concluded.
Author: Muhammad Yasir Dharmawan D.
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
