Banda Aceh, September 27, 2025 — The Statistics Corner of Syiah Kuala University (USK), under the Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), in collaboration with Statistics Indonesia (BPS) of Aceh Province, held a BPS Microdata Workshop themed “Exploring Sakernas Microdata for Meaningful and Impactful Labor Research.” The event took place at the Statistical Computing and Programming Laboratory and was attended by USK students eager to deepen their understanding of data-driven research. The workshop aimed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to utilize BPS microdata as a valuable information source for academic projects and final research papers.
In her opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Zurnila Marli Kesuma, S.Si., M.Si., Head of the Department of Statistics, emphasized the importance of mastering data utilization to produce research that is not only relevant but also beneficial to society. “I hope this event helps us better understand and make use of available microdata. Data has no value if we don’t know how to use it,” she remarked.
The collaboration brought together two speakers from BPS Aceh Province: Juliana, S.P. (Expert Statistician, Intermediate Level), who presented material on Statistical Indicators from Sakernas, and Anandika Dian Pramesti, S.Tr.Stat. (Junior Computer Analyst), who discussed Mechanisms for Accessing BPS Microdata.
The speakers covered a range of topics — from introducing BPS statistical products and explaining the free data access mechanism through the Zero Rupiah Scheme, to demonstrating how to navigate the BPS website, create an account in the Integrated Statistical Service (PST) portal, and utilize the BPS Data API for application development.
Participants were not only attentive listeners but also had the opportunity to practice directly by accessing real BPS Aceh data. The atmosphere grew more engaging as students enthusiastically interacted with the presenters and participated in an interactive Kahoot! quiz session designed to test their understanding of the material.
Through this initiative, the USK Department of Statistics hopes to encourage students to become more accustomed to accessing official data sources, particularly from BPS and other reliable institutions. By learning to access and process data effectively, students are expected to broaden their analytical insight and produce research that is both meaningful and impactful.