UMN Launches Master’s Program in Design

Group photo of UMN officials at the launch of the Master’s Program in Design. (Doc. UMN)

Jakarta (July 10, 2025) – Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN) officially launched its Master’s Program in Design at Menara Kompas, Palmerah, Central Jakarta. This launch marks a strategic step for UMN in addressing the growing complexity of the design industry’s needs, which now demand an innovative, sustainable, and technology-driven approach.

UMN was established in 2006 by Kompas Gramedia as a concrete manifestation of its commitment to enhancing the nation’s intellectual development. UMN offers four flagship faculties, encompassing thirteen undergraduate programs and three master’s programs designed to meet the needs of future industries.

Over the past 19 years, UMN has continued to develop its institution, now offering 17 programs, including associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and postgraduate programs across four faculties. In 2025, UMN is launching its 18th academic program: the Master of Design program. This reinforces UMN’s position as a leading institution in sustainable design development. The launch of this master’s program also reflects UMN’s response to global challenges that demand people to remain critical, creative, and competent.

Teddy at the launch of the Master of Design program. (Doc. UMN)

“Let me share a bit about Jakob Oetama and P.K. Ojong, the founders of Kompas Gramedia. They were not only journalists and educators but also art enthusiasts. They collected all forms of art in Indonesia and always reminded us to preserve the culture and art of this country so that future generations have the opportunity to experience them,” Ir. Teddy Surianto, Chairman of the Multimedia Nusantara Foundation, said. This is also why UMN has a strong position in art-based programs, including the Master of Design program, which was officially launched today.

Teddy stated that the establishment of the Master of Design program manifests UMN’s commitment to realizing Kompas Gramedia’s vision of “Enlightening People.” From the very beginning, UMN was established with Jakob Oetama’s vision of preparing graduates for work in the creative industry. 

For Teddy, design is one of the key elements for the growth of the creative industry. Agreeing with Teddy, Andrey explained in his speech that technological advancements do not hinder Kompas Gramedia’s vision and mission to continue developing new and sustainable knowledge through the launch of the design program at Universitas Multimedia Nusantara.

Andrey at the launch of the Master of Design program. (Doc. UMN)

“The Master of Design program focuses on sustainability, with a particular emphasis on the concepts of Sustainable ICT and Sustainable Business Design through an interdisciplinary approach. It is expected to produce graduates who can become creative entrepreneurs, practitioners, leaders, or expert researchers, particularly in the field of sustainable design,” Dr. Andrey Andoko, UMN Rector, said.

Andrey is delighted with the high number of applicants for the Master of Design program and trusts UMN as an educational institution. According to Andrey, the Master of Design program is UMN’s response to meeting the needs of the future design industry, which increasingly demands innovation, technology application, Artificial Intelligence, and an understanding of sustainability aspects.

“My hope is that the Master of Design program can prepare students to integrate sustainability principles into design and the application of digital technology, as well as sustainable business practices in environmental, cultural, social, and economic aspects. It is hoped that graduates will contribute to the advancement of Indonesia’s economy,” Andrey added.

The UMN Master of Design program is designed and developed with the aim of keeping pace with the ever-evolving field of knowledge. Advancing design education to a higher level is a necessary and appropriate step for UMN, given its Excellent Accreditation status, as well as the Visual Communication Design (VCD) program, which has achieved an A accreditation and received recognition from the AUN-QA.

Friska at the launch of the Master of Design program. (Doc. UMN)

“In our Master of Design curriculum, we have integrated Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability. This reflects our commitment to sustainability while not neglecting existing technology. My hope is that in the future, there will be many applicants for the Master of Design program, and it will continue to grow, so that UMN is recognized globally and can achieve World Class University status,” Prof. Dr. Friska Natalia, S.Kom., M.T., Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Internationalization, said.

The Master of Design program will align with the university’s plans and industry needs. Friska hopes that UMN Master of Design graduates will possess competencies in technology mastery and green skills.

Cahya explained about the Master of Design program (Doc. UMN)

“The UMN Master of Design program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach in design science, with a focus on sustainability and digital technology. Design is positioned as a strategic method for designing, planning, and creating a better life through artifacts, systems, and services that are carefully designed. Regardless of their previous academic background, every student will gain knowledge and understanding of design thinking,” Muhammad Cahya Mulya Daulay, S.Sn., M.Ds., Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design, said.

For Cahya, the emphasis on sustainability is not merely a trend or buzzword but a strategic mindset. Every action must consider long-term impacts, not just short-term solutions that disregard future consequences. This goes beyond environmental issues to encompass systems, services, and artifacts used by humans in their daily lives.

“This is where the role of design becomes crucial. The design process is an effort to create sustainable solutions, whether as a new foundation or as an effort to restore existing objects or systems to have a longer lifespan and greater value,” Cahya added.

Cahya hopes that the UMN Master of Design Program will become a platform for the emergence of design intellectuals, thinkers, and practitioners who utilize their knowledge and skills and produce problem solvers to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s progress through strategic and contextual design approaches.

The grand launch of the UMN Master of Design program also featured a brief presentation by Dwi Santoso, a Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Technology. During this event, Dwi discussed the current advancements in technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). Humankind has gone through many eras of technological advancement, from the plastic era and the microchip era to the current AI era.

Dwi presenting material on Technology and Art. (Doc. UMN)

“The current pace of development is extremely rapid, and one of the technologies we are familiar with is Generative AI, such as the ChatGPT application. This Generative AI technology collects data from the internet and summarizes it for humans, so everything we upload to social media becomes part of the internet’s big data. Therefore, humans cannot be replaced by AI,” Dwi said.

For Dwi, human touch and emotion will always be needed because technology cannot provide those things. Technology only assists in terms of logic, data, scale, and so on. However, aesthetics and emotion can only be obtained from humans.

“Art and design have no right or wrong. It is unlike AI, which operates on binary numbers 0 and 1. What AI provides is based on prompts from polls and research it has learned, especially when it comes to existential, philosophical, and artistic matters,” Dwi added.

Contact:

PR Universitas Multimedia Nusantara: 0878 8113 0970 (Patricia)

Email: [email protected]

By the Public Relations Team

English translation by Levina Chrestella Theodora

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