Telkom AI Connect, Alibaba Cloud, and HiColleagues Collaboration Presents Global Standard AI Certification in Makassar

Makassar, 10 November 2025 – Telkom Indonesia collaborates with Alibaba Cloud and HiColleagues in organizing the “National AI Talent Development Program – Empowering Innovation” at Telkom AI Connect Makassar. This activity is part of a series traveling show and national AI certification in five cities offline and four cities on line, providing access to global standard artificial intelligence training and certification. Participants come from various groups, ranging from AI enthusiasts, academics, communities, developers, founders, enterprises, to MSME players.

The activity was opened by Eri Susanto (General Manager of Witel Sulbagsel), followed by remarks from university partners represented by Dr. Sanatang, S.Pd., MT (Makassar State University), and Muhammad Rizky Eka Arlin (Python Makassar, CTO Oke Garden) representing 12 technology community partners. In this opening session, Telkom AI Connect also introduced Telkom’s AI solutions, BigBox and OCA, which were presented by Fitriani Rizky (Telkom’s Digiserve on Site DBT), as part of efforts to expand the use of AI technology in various lines of education, industry and the digital ecosystem.

Hearing training presented by Sunny Jovita (Solution Architect Alibaba Cloud Indonesia) with comprehensive material covering the evolution of Alibaba technology such as the Qwen model, video and music generation, prompt engineering techniques, retrieval augmented generation (RAG) concept, AI agent fundamentals, AI ethics, as well as an introduction to modern artificial intelligence technology. This material is designed to equip participants with a basic understanding of AI applications that are relevant to today’s industrial needs.

After the training session, the activity continued with a series of international certification exams guided by Martha Sutopo (CEO of HiColleagues). A total of 69 participants took part in official certification, which in the future will be an important opportunity to gain global competency recognition. The certification process runs smoothly and provides participants with a rigorous but structured competency evaluation experience.

Sunarti MR, Business and Community Lead Telkom AI Connect Makassar, emphasized that this program is designed to be beneficial for all participants. “We want to create a learning space that is open to anyone who wants to develop. Through this activity, we not only introduce AI technology, but also help students, communities, MSME players and other participants to take certification. This AI certification is one step to equip participants with competencies that are ready to be used in industry,” he said.

This activity also received full support from Hasanuddin University and the Department of Information and Computer Engineering, Makassar State University. Not only that, as many as twelve campus communities and organizations in Makassar, such as the Makassar Muhammadiyah University Informatics Student Association, UIN Alauddin Information Systems Student Association, Dipanegara Computer Club, UMI Developer Student Club, Makassar Developer Enthusiast, Python Makassar, Coconut Computer Club, Digisaurus, KeDai Computerworks, Coder Institute, Pondok Informatika, and Inready Workgroup, also contributed to the success of this activity.

The enthusiasm of the participants was seen from the various responses given after participating in the activity. “I understand better that AI is very close to everyday life, and this international standard certificate will be very, very helpful,” said Muhammad Anwar, a student at UIN Alauddin Makassar.

From the MSME side, Ahmad said, “Training and certification like this really helps us understand technology that can improve business operations. We hope there will be a special follow-up program for MSME players.”

Mizan Lazuardi, Telkom AI Connect Program Lead, also emphasized Telkom Indonesia’s commitment to developing national digital talent. “Telkom AI Connect is committed to being a strategic partner for education, community and creative industries. Increasing the digital competence of the younger generation is an important foundation for building an innovation ecosystem that is adaptive to technological developments,” he explained.

Through the collaboration of Telkom AI Connect, Alibaba Cloud, and HiColleagues, this program is expected to trigger the acceleration of AI talent development in Makassar and Eastern Indonesia, as well as opening up further opportunities such as coaching, advanced certification, and professional network development.

About Telkom AI Connect

Telkom AI Connect is part of the Telkom AI Center of Excellence (AI CoE) initiative initiated by PT Telkom Indonesia. AI Connect presents learning programs, innovation showcases, and business consultations to encourage AI adoption and accelerate digital transformation in Indonesia. Telkom AI Connect is present in nine cities in Indonesia, with a commitment to building AI capabilities that are equitable, relevant and sustainable in all regions.