UNS – Yudho Yudhanto, S.Kom., M.Kom., is one of the accomplished lecturers at Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta. He began his career at UNS as an extraordinary lecturer (LB). His outstanding contributions were evidenced by the 1st place award for the Most Productive Inventor and Creator in the Copyright category presented by UNS in 2022. In addition, Yudho has 13 Scopus-indexed journal articles, with more to come.

Yudho’s career at UNS started in 2011. The teaching world was certainly a new experience for him. Initially hesitant, Yudho felt lacking in confidence as he was accustomed to working behind the scenes. He then decided to venture into a career as a lecturer. A graduate of SMPN 1 Boyolali, he began teaching in the Diploma-3 Program in Informatics Engineering, which was then under the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA).

UNS needs figures like Yudho as lecturers with a background in industrial practice. As a lecturer, Yudho’s mission is to narrow the gap between students’ knowledge, skills, and the real needs of the current industry.

In 2022, Yudho received an award as the top-ranking UNS lecturer in the Most Productive Inventor and Creator category for Copyright. He obtained this award in the Computer Program and Informatics field. As a lecturer, Yudho took the initiative to register Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) copyrights for the application products he had created. Many collaborations occurred during the production of these products, some of which involved fellow lecturers and his students.

“In addition to being proficient in programming, student friends must also be aware of protecting their intellectual property. By respecting their own work, it will certainly foster a sense of appreciation for the work of others,” Yudho said on Thursday (4/4/2024).

His productivity is further evident in the research articles published in reputable Scopus-indexed journals. Many research topics have been explored by this startup founder, such as Virtual Reality (VR), IT Business, and Information Systems. He is currently delving into a more specific field, UI/UX or User Interface/User Experience.

The process has not been short. The keywords he has held onto all this time are focus and enthusiasm. With these values, the father of two began his article publication journey. As usual, it must have started with national journals. Until now, there have been 13 journal article publications indexed in Scopus. Moreover, two more articles will be added this year.

“The important thing is to stay focused. Enjoy the revision process. It will definitely be completed,” he said.

Yudho’s story goes beyond his experience as an industry practitioner and lecturer at UNS. Deeper still, stories from his school days, being a book author, online contributor, living in Bandung, and returning to Solo as an entrepreneur have colored his life journey.

Not Just a Newspaper Hawker

It all began during his teenage years, filled with hard work. At that time, he learned to live independently. In fact, he used to sell newspapers as a street vendor while still in school. This alumnus of SMK Negeri 2 Surakarta doesn’t view his sideline job as a shortcoming. Instead, he sees it as a valuable, real-life learning experience.

The wisdom lies in Yudho’s habit of devouring the contents of newspapers, magazines, and books while waiting for his merchandise to sell out. This habit shaped him into who he is today. This young man, who enjoys mountain climbing as a hobby, has grown into someone hungry for knowledge. This also drove his desire to become an author of books or articles. For him, this is how we can also benefit others by sharing knowledge and information.

Bandung as the Start of Career

After graduating from school, this young man, born in June, began his career at a computer and networking company in the city of Bandung. There, he learned a lot about the world of computers, the internet, and networks. Two years later, Yudho worked at a state-owned enterprise (BUMN) in PT Industri Telekomunikasi Indonesia (INTI) Persero. He also worked in the Research and Information Technology Division of PT Telkom Indonesia and several software houses in Bandung.

His enthusiasm for learning never faded. While working in a state-owned enterprise, Yudho decided to continue his studies at the university level at the University of Computer Indonesia (UNIKOM) in Bandung. Yudho realized that in his youth, he had plenty of time and energy. Therefore, he enjoyed working and studying simultaneously.

“I worked for a state-owned enterprise in the morning. In the afternoon, I attended classes. After that, I worked again at a software house until dawn and continued to enthusiastically work on other IT projects in the meantime,” Yudho said.

Belief in the Importance of Education

Yudho’s decision to continue his studies at the university level deserves appreciation. He has a strong awareness of the importance of education. According to him, going to college is not about changing your status or showing off. There are many benefits he has experienced. In addition to knowledge, skills, attitude, and new communities, going to college also boosts confidence due to increased technical skills and experience.

Various aspirations that someone has while still in school may encounter deadlock. Yudho also experienced this. After pursuing higher education, his insights broadened. He believes that going to college was not at all disadvantageous; converting savings into a college diploma is definitely beneficial.

“As long as you can (go to college), why not? Even if you have to self-fund, it is an investment that will surely pay off. However, a good college education is one that is completed,” Yudho said.

Tech Book Author

In addition to focusing on education, the owner of the rumahstudio.com website is also active in writing books. He gained writing experience while active in the community during his time in Bandung. In addition to writing technology columns in monthly magazines, he was also active as a contributor to IKC (Ilmu Komputer Com).

“That’s when I started to become interested in writing. It turns out that writing is not difficult. The key is to read a lot, and through reading, you automatically learn and update your knowledge,” he said.

Several books in the computer, multimedia, and IT business genres have been published. Together with his team, he wrote books such as Introduction to IoT, Start-up & Technopreneur, Android Programming, Laravel Guide, Smart PHP & MySQL, Expert in Making VR Applications (Virtual Reality), Understanding Viruses and Trojans, Doing Business with Android, and many more. Major publishers that have published his books include Elex Media Komputindo, Biptek Press, UNS Press, Khazanah Intelektual, and other national publishers.

“Books can touch everyone and can help them,” Yudho said.

Be an Entrepreneur in Solo

Upon returning to his beloved city, his career continued at a software house owned by a renowned Batik industry figure in Solo. Many skills and experiences were developed there, one of which is entrepreneurship in technology, or technopreneurship. This period was his moment to learn how software businesses can be run as enjoyable ventures. Eventually, he became the founder and CEO of an IT startup in the field of Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) in Surakarta.

Adapting to the Challenges of Times

Technology is advancing rapidly from time to time. The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science along with other supporting technologies, poses both advantages and challenges. For a lecturer who is also a cat lover, humans need to soar to improve themselves. Both soft skills and hard skills need to be developed beyond the capabilities of technology itself while adhering to ethics and culture.

“All of us have passions and uniqueness. If we succeed in honing skills related to both, then it will be easier for us to achieve our dreams,” Yudho concluded.

Humas UNS

Reporter: R. P. Adji

Editor: Dwi Hastuti