Jatinangor, September 15, 2025 – The Auditorium of the Postgraduate Building at the Faculty of Communication Sciences (Fikom), Padjadjaran University (Unpad), was filled with students and lecturers on Monday, September 15, 2025. The event was a book review titled “Publicity: A Complete Guide for Practitioners and Communication Students,” written by Prof. Dr. Susanne Dida, M.M., and Retasari Dewi, M.I.Kom. The special guest at the event was Jaka Anindita, S.Sos., M.Hum., an alumnus of the ’93 batch of the Library and Information Science Study Program, who now has a successful career in public relations at Sinar Mas Group.
Jaka Anindita was invited as a speaker based on a recommendation from Andri Yanto, M.I.Kom., to provide a perspective from the corporate world. Jaka’s presence was an inspiration, as it is rare for a Library Studies alumnus to have a career in public relations. He proved that Library Science graduates have great potential to work outside of traditional fields, especially in the realm of communication.
During the book review session, Jaka shared his experience from his 18-year career in Public Relations at Sinar Mas. Initially, he was recruited as a librarian, but in the same process, Sinar Mas was also recruiting public relations personnel. This opportunity motivated him to take on a dual role before finally choosing the public relations path. This experience shows the flexibility and adaptability a professional must have in the modern era.
Jaka emphasized that graduates of the Library and Information Science Study Program have an advantage because they are under the Faculty of Communication Sciences. “Communication skills, journalistic skills, and communication management skills are very relevant here,” he said. He encouraged students not to hesitate to explore studies outside of their major and to strengthen their portfolios by taking relevant courses, such as writing and publicity.
An important message Jaka conveyed to the students was to be more strategic in planning their careers. “The younger generation needs to be more strategic. Don’t hesitate to try studies outside your major,” he said. He also stressed that a librarian’s professional advantage is the ability to have a career in two fields at once—librarianship and public relations—which provides broader career opportunities.
Jaka Anindita’s visit to the campus was not just a nostalgic moment; it was also a valuable source of motivation for students and lecturers. His success story provides new insights into the career paths available to Library Science graduates and strengthens the collaboration between alumni and their alma mater. This demonstrates that the academic foundation provided by the Library and Information Science Study Program at Fikom Unpad is highly relevant to the needs of the industry.
