Deputy Head of BPS , Sonny Harry Budiutomo Harmadi, led a discussion on Friday, June 20, 2025, focusing on strengthening organizational culture, the strategic role of Politeknik Statistika STIS, and the future direction of BPS research. The meeting was attended by the Director, Deputy Director, BPS officials, and representatives of STIS lecturers. In his remarks, Sonny emphasized the importance of a life-long learning culture within BPS as part of corporate transformation. “It is truly strange if we keep doing the same thing repeatedly but expect different results,” he concluded while leading the session.

Politeknik Statistika STIS, as an integral part of BPS, is expected to actively contribute to the modernization of national statistics, with its Tri Dharma of Higher Education aligned with the needs of BPS, particularly in providing excellent human resources.

The discussion also highlighted the need for a self-correcting mechanism at the provincial level to address issues such as data bias, as well as the importance of breakthrough research that is relevant and impactful. All research activities at Politeknik Statistika STIS, including undergraduate theses, must provide direct benefits to BPS in improving data quality and the efficiency of statistical processes. Thesis supervision is also directed toward strengthening students’ understanding of BPS statistical data, identifying problems, and proposing improvement solutions.

In addition, the simplification of conventional surveys was discussed in light of the challenge of declining response rates in developed countries, with a focus on the development of the Economic-Wide Survey (EWS) and Household-Wide Survey (HWS). Collaboration in human resources between STIS lecturers and BPS personnel, including the possibility of exchanging functional and structural/practitioner roles, was also considered. A shift in higher education paradigm was emphasized, encouraging further studies without the need for strict linearity in field of study, and instead focusing on learning ability and contribution to the organization.

Several other key points raised in the discussion included a proposal to develop an AI-based chatbot system similar to ChatGPT that can answer questions about socio-economic phenomena in Indonesia using official BPS statistics, to be featured on the BPS National Statistics Command Center (NSCC) platform.

The Strategic Role of Politeknik Statistika STIS