SmartMacro: Pemilihan Variabel Makroekonomi yang Tepat dalam Penulisan Skripsi Mahasiswa Ekonomi Pembangunan

The community service activity entitled SmartMacro was conducted to enhance the understanding and skills of Development Economics students in selecting appropriate macroeconomic variables for their undergraduate thesis writing. Employing a participatory and practical approach, the training combined lectures, discussions, and simulations involving sixth-semester students at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Malikussaleh. Evaluation results demonstrated a significant improvement in students’ conceptual understanding, analytical abilities, and confidence in determining relevant research variables such as GDP, inflation, unemployment, exchange rates, and investment. This activity also strengthened the synergy between academics and students in improving research quality and supporting the advancement of development economics. The long-term impact is expected to include enhanced thesis quality, increased scientific publications, and tangible contributions to addressing economic development challenges at both local, national and global levels.