The Psychology Study Program of Mercu Buana University Yogyakarta (UMBY), in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), successfully held an International Cross-Country Webinar on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. Themed "From Fragile to Fearless: Empowering Gen Z for a Successful Kickstart of Social Venture," this cross-country event attracted 186 participants from Indonesia and Malaysia.

The webinar, held online via Zoom Meeting and live YouTube broadcast, was part of the Community Service Program (PkM). Its clear goal was to build mental resilience in Generation Z (Gen Z), foster a spirit of perseverance, and encourage them to boldly create opportunities through social entrepreneurship (sociopreneurship). Participants were encouraged to understand that the success of starting a business is determined not only by business skills but also by the courage to take concrete steps out of their comfort zone, a resilient mindset, and the ability to transform ideas and intentions into concrete actions.

UMBY Rector, Dr. Ir. In his opening remarks, Dr. Agus Slamet, S.TP., M.P., MCE., emphasized that this collaboration is a tangible demonstration of the university's commitment to expanding its global network.

"In addition to exchanging knowledge, this collaboration is expected to spark joint research and reputable international publications between UMBY and UMK lecturers," said Dr. Agus Slamet.

The event was chaired by Rani Rengganis, M.Sc., Ph.D., with members Prof. Dr. Alimatus Sahrah, M.Sc., M.M., Psychologist (UMBY), Dr. Purnaning Dhyah Guritno, M.Sc. (UMBY), and Dr. Mohamad Hazeem bin Mohmad Sidik (UMK), who each presented material to the participants.

The first speaker, Prof. Dr. Alimatus Sahrah, emphasized the importance of execution in business. He argued that young people shouldn't wait for everything to be perfect before taking action, as simple, concrete steps are far more important than mere intentions.

Regarding mental resilience, Dr. Purnaning Dhyah Guritno introduced the psychological concept of HERO (Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism). This concept encourages participants to engage in cognitive reframing, transforming negative thoughts into positive ones and focusing their energy on controllable factors.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mohamad Hazeem bin Mohmad Sidik provided participants with a practical guide to the Business Canvas. He simplified the business map into a Simple Map, encompassing the target market (Who the destination), the solution route (What the route/solution), uniqueness (Uniqueness), and resources (Resources/the Fuel), providing participants with guidance in designing and developing social ventures that provide tangible benefits to the community.

One social venture idea presented in the webinar was an economic empowerment program for underprivileged communities through skills training and small business mentoring. This program helps low-income communities acquire skills, such as making crafts or home-cooked food products, and then assists them in marketing their products so they can have a more sustainable source of income.

Moderated by Rani Rengganis, the interactive discussion session was lively. Many participants felt enlightened and encouraged to start their own businesses.

Yasvi Mardiana, a participant from UMBY, said she immediately had a practical business idea after attending the webinar.

"I'm more confident in formulating my idea within the next 24 hours: providing food and drinks for students attending classes on Saturdays when the cafeteria is closed. The prices are affordable, and delivery can be done via cash on delivery (COD) directly to the classroom," Yasvi said enthusiastically.

Seeing this enthusiasm, Rani Rengganis concluded that the main challenge for Gen Z today is transforming motivation into concrete action.

"We need to reframe our mindset from negative to positive. This is about shifting perspective from challenging situations to appropriate behavior, namely transforming ideas into small, concrete actions that will be taken within the next 24 hours," Rani concluded.

Through this international collaboration, UMBY and UMK hope that participants can implement the knowledge they gain to face global change adaptively and resiliently, while bringing positive social impact to the wider community.