Bogor, West Java (ANTARA) – Minister of Trade Budi Santoso has invited university students to become “export activists” who can encourage micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) products to penetrate international markets while also creating jobs after graduation.At the Campuspreneur 2026 event at IPB University here in West Java, on Friday, Santoso emphasized the importance of students having aspirations and big dreams from an early age, including becoming successful exporters.According to him, the entrepreneurial spirit needs to be instilled so that the younger generation is not only oriented toward seeking employment but is also able to create business opportunities for others.“Be activists, everyone must be activists, but export activists. So we look for positive things,” he said.He explained that the Trade Ministry has prepared various facilities to support students who wish to enter the export sector, ranging from training and free product design consultation services to business matching programs with potential overseas buyers.The ministry has planned to provide a special space for Campuspreneur program participants at the upcoming Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI), which will be held on October 14-18. The exhibition will bring together international buyers and serve as an opportunity for students to promote their products to the global market.The ministry has collaborated with 19 universities in a young exporter development program. The program includes export training, mentoring, and facilitation of business meetings with potential buyers through the network of Trade Attachés and Indonesian Trade Promotion Centers (ITPC) in various countries.Santoso said the MSME business matching program has shown positive results. In 2025, recorded transactions reached US$134.8 million or more than Rp2 trillion, with around 70 percent of participants being business actors who had never exported before.“We want students, once they graduate, to immediately become entrepreneurs. Don’t be busy looking for jobs after graduating, but be able to create jobs for our environment and for ourselves,” he added.