Bonn, UPI

Following a competitive selection process that drew 1,612 applications from over 160 countries, Dr. Mustika Nuramalia Handayani, S.TP., M.Pd., a lecturer at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), was chosen to represent Indonesia in the UNESCO-UNEVOC TVET Leadership Programme (TLP) 2026. The programme brought together 25 participants from 25 countries at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany, from 22 to 26 June 2026.

As Vice Dean for Student Affairs and Partnerships at UPI’s Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Education (FPTI), Dr. Mustika joined a distinguished cohort of policymakers, institutional leaders, and vocational education experts from across Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and Europe. Organised by UNESCO-UNEVOC and funded by the German Federal Government under the “Towards a Global TVET Agenda” initiative, TLP is one of the most prominent platforms for advancing leadership in technical and vocational education worldwide.

This year’s programme, themed “Leading Systems Change in TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) “, tackled some of the most pressing challenges facing vocational education today , from systems thinking and green skills development to AI governance, inclusive leadership, qualifications frameworks, micro-credentials, and strategic industry partnerships. Participants also had the opportunity to observe Germany’s renowned dual training system firsthand at the Handwerkskammer Koblenz, before presenting their Institutional Action Plans to an international panel.

Beyond the programme itself, Dr. Mustika’s participation speaks to UPI’s broader commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, advancing quality vocational education (SDG 4), preparing a future-ready workforce (SDG 8), embedding sustainability through a green curriculum (SDG 13), and deepening international collaboration through the UNESCO-UNEVOC Alumni network of over 95 countries (SDG 17).

“Leadership is the art of making people want to move in the right direction, build the systems, communicate the vision, and the organisation will run not out of fear, but out of shared purpose,” said Dr. Mustika. (DN)