SURABAYA (19 March 2023) - Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini invited alumni of the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology Surabaya (ITS) to work in a variety of professions. There is no reason for ITS graduates not to work and succeed.


In front of university leaders, lecturers, and graduates, the Minister set an example herself. She has made significant contributions in every position she has held, including Mayor of Surabaya and Minister of Social Affairs.


"As Minister of Social Affairs, that is not my purview. There is a lot that I don't know. If I'm not sure, I'll question my lecturers here. So, if you don't know, you can question your lecturers here," stated the Minister during the 127th ITS graduation ceremony in Surabaya on March 19.


Present on the occasion were the Chancellor of ITS Prof. Dr. Ir. Mochamad Ashari, M. Eng., IPU, A.Eng, and higher education leaders and the ITS academic community. A total of 1,280 graduates were formally recognized and graduated on Saturday and Sunday, March 18-19, 2023.


On that occasion, the Minister got the opportunity to motivate the graduates. New things that we don't know shouldn't be a barrier. The Minister remarked that when she visited Papua, local youngsters pleaded for "Johnson".


"I didn't know what a "Johnson" was. It turned out that it was a boat engine. Then I asked, if they asked for a boat engine, what would the boat be made of? They said to cut down trees. Oh no, no. So I went to ITS and the solution was a fiber boat," she said.


These are tips that ITS alumni can emulate to successfully overcome a variety of obstacles. "So there is no such thing as can't," she said. The Minister added that graduation from college marked the beginning of hard work and continuous learning.


The Minister achieved a variety of goals using these tips. The Minister documented her accomplishments after being elected Mayor of Surabaya. In February 2015, the World City Mayors Foundation ranked her the third greatest mayor in the world for her efforts to transform Surabaya from a slum to a beautiful city; Lee Kuan Yew City Prize jointly awarded with Hamburg, Germany, Kazan, Russia, and Tokyo, Japan; The APACPH Excellence in Leadership Medallion from The Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH); and Fortune magazine's list of 50 international figures that also includes Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and others.


Now, the Ministry of Social Affairs has received numerous accolades as the ministry with the finest performance and much more.


The Minister underlined to the graduates that ITS provides not only an excellent learning environment but also the potential to build strong individuals. That is why she was able to face various challenges such as visiting communities in remote areas of Papua and Kalimantan.


"So don't give up. If you give up, you will stop achieving success," she stated. The Minister encouraged them to keep striving for more.