Surakarta, December 7, 2025. The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held the 2025 National Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) event in Surakarta from December 5 to 9, 2025. The program, which was attended by 14 FEB students, featured various activities centered around the theme of entrepreneurship. After conducting a “batik-making” activity on the first day, the second day's activities included a sharing session with Anita Wijayanti PhD, a female entrepreneur from Laweyan.

During the session, Anita conveyed the important role of women in the batik industry in Laweyan Solo. “Mbok Mase are resilient and tough women who cannot be separated from the history and culture of Kampung Batik Laweyan. They run their batik businesses well but never abandon their roles as wives and mothers to their children,” said Anita, who is also a lecturer at UNIBA Surakarta.

During the discussion, Arya, a student of the Sharia Economics study program, asked about the trap of the comfort zone “Heirs vs Pioneers” for young people today. “The current generation is familiar with the terms heirs and pioneers. What should Gen Z do to get out of their comfort zone so that they can develop a reliable entrepreneurial spirit?” asked Arya to the PhD graduate of UTeM Malaysia.

Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, Sofyan Rizal, expressed his gratitude to the speakers for their explanation about Kampung Batik Laweyan and their motivation about women entrepreneurs. “Thank you to Mrs. Anita for explaining very well to the students of FEB UIN Jakarta about the establishment of Kampung Batik and how to foster entrepreneurial spirit,” said Sofyan Rizal.

The event concluded with a reception and group photo. (AC)