The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) of Soegijapranata Catholic University (SCU) has reaffirmed its commitment to equipping students with global insight and relevant skills in the modern business world. Through a General Lecture entitled “Data & Lifestyle: How Data Analytics Influences Consumer Trends and Behavior”, FEB SCU presented 2 international academics from the University of San Carlos (USC), Philippines on the public lecture that was held on Monday April 14, 2025 at the Thomas Aquinas Theater, Campus 1 SCU. They are Prof. Cecil Salahudin Gantalao from the Department of Hospitality Management and Dr. Ethel D. Catamco from the Department of Business Administration. This activity was part of a series of visiting lecture program that ran from April 9, to April 15, 2025.
Dr. A. Posmaria Setiasiwi Sitohang, Vice Dean for General Administration, Finance, and Promotion of FEB SCU, stated that the collaboration between SCU and USC has been established for a decade and serves as an important bridge to broaden students’ horizons. “We aim to offer perspectives on business practices not only from Indonesia but also from the international community. This collaboration encompasses joint research, co-teaching, and public lectures such as this one.” She emphasized that data analysis is a crucial part of business studies. “Databases are used to develop company strategies, including marketing and product design. Therefore, this topic is very relevant for students, because they learn not only the theory, but also the practice and implementation,” she added.
Dr. Ethel in her presentation highlighted how data analysis is now an important foundation in business decision making. “Digitalization has changed consumer behavior and preferences. Companies must maximize data analysis tools to create a competitive advantage. Automation and AI are now part of this process, although they must still pay attention to data privacy aspects,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Prof. Cecil added a perspective from field practice. She said that data analysis is very helpful in marketing and business operations. “As a practitioner, I see that the majority of entrepreneurs use data analysis. However, based on the data I have, only a little more than 50% of entrepreneurs in Indonesia use it. This shows the importance of providing early understanding to students,” she explained.
This public lecture is a momentum for FEB SCU students to understand that mastery of data analysis is no longer an added value, but an absolute necessity in the increasingly complex and data-based business world.
Source: SCU