M. Reza S. Zaki, student of UGM Faculty of Law International Class Program won second place in the National Critic Essay Competition 2011 held by the Faculty of Law University of Indonesia for three days from 20th to 23rd October, 2011.
A total of 50 Universities in Indonesia were following the preliminary stage of the competition with the theme "The Bill of Higher Education at the Crossroads of Democracy. The UGM delegation has passed and successfully entered into the final stage along with 10 other Universities in Indonesia.
Reza S. Zaki, who also serves as Minister of Strategic Studies of UGM Student Executive Body in the competition presented an essay, entitled "Diagnosis of the Higher Education Bill". He presented this work before the jury in the UI Faculty of Law on October 21, 2011. "Thanks to God I was among the best three," he said at the UGM Faculty of Law on Monday (7/11).
Meanwhile, two other competitors, Danar Anindito from UI Faculty of Law is declared the winner and Ninon Melatyugra from Faculty of Law Christian University of Satya Wacana, Salatiga as the third winner. "My Essay is a conception which developed from discussions at the UGM Pancasila Studies Center and UGM Student Executive Body up to this time, that interesting idea from this essay is the role of academic community as a form of government role in communities to ensure the accessibility of education for groups of people who are not smart and not rich," he emphasised.
This, Reza said, is in accordance with the stipulation in Article 31, Section 1 of the 1945 State Constitution which mentions that the State Guarantees Education for its citizens. These ideals should be completely realized, for the Higher Education Bill is still under discussion in the Commission X of House of Representatives and will be ratified in December 2011. “UGM Strategic Studies sees that all academic community throughout Indonesia should be careful to observe the direction of the Higher Education Bill, so that it would not cause errors in the future of Indonesian education," said Reza S. Zaki.