Professor Irfan Dwidya Prijambada of the UGM Faculty of Agriculture has been elected as a UGM Board of Trustees member.
He was selected to succeed Professor Chairil Anwar during a special plenary meeting of the academic senate convened to choose and appoint interim replacement members of the Board of Trustees representing full professors for the 2021-2026 tenure.
The meeting was held on Wednesday (Jan. 31). Presiding over the selection process were Professor Sulistiowati, the Chair of the Academic Senate, and Professor Hermin Indah Wahyuni, the Secretary of the Academic Senate and chair of the ad-hoc election committee, with the participation of 63 senators.
Professor Sulistiowati clarified that the election aimed to fill the impending retirement of Professor Chairil Anwar, effective Feb. 1, 2024.
Upon receipt of a letter from the Board of Trustees notifying them of this matter, the Academic Senate promptly formed an ad-hoc committee tasked with selecting interim Board of Trustees members representing full professors for the 2021-2026 period.
“After the formation of the ad-hoc committee, the committee immediately held a coordination meeting, chaired by Professor Hermin Wahyuni and assisted by Muhammad Arrofiq as the secretary,” Professor Sulistiowati explained.
The ad-hoc committee outlined a series of agendas for selecting interim members, including coordinating with relevant entities such as the UGM Directorate of Information Technology (DTI), the Legal and Organizational Bureau, the Public Relations and Protocol Team, and the Household Division.
“A mechanism for this selection was also established, where it was decided to use a tab system to facilitate the selection process,” she explained.
Professor Sulistiowati disclosed that a total of 12 candidates registered to participate in the selection process. The ad-hoc committee commenced with an administrative document check, as stipulated by the regulations of the Board of Trustees No. 4 of 2022 concerning the Selection of Board of Trustees Members.
“After conducting the administrative document check, Alhamdulillah, all applicants were declared eligible and met the qualification requirements stipulated in the aforementioned Board of Trustees Regulations,” Professor Sulistiowati said.
“They then proceeded to undergo a health examination in collaboration with the UGM Academic Hospital, and all 12 full professors were declared healthy.”
As the Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee, Professor Hermin Wahyuni expressed relief and gratitude as the process of appointing interim members concluded seamlessly. She expressed gratitude for the smooth progress of the selection process, which commenced in December 2023.
“Today’s selection process is a continuation for the prospective candidates from the faculties at UGM after we conducted administrative verification and health verification, and today we successfully conducted the selection and appointment. Professor Irfan Dwidya Prijambada was elected,” she said.
In this selection process, Professor Wahyuni explained that the committee identified the top 12 candidates from the faculties at UGM, with the proceedings unfolding smoothly without significant complications.
Out of the 63 senators present in the plenary meeting, one senator could not enter due to lateness, exceeding the designated time limit. Meanwhile, the committee had prepared four tokens for a potential re-election.
“Once again, we are all grateful because there is a result from the first round with 12 prospective candidates. Professor Irfan Dwidya Prijambada received 16 votes, followed by Professor Mustofa with 10 votes and Professor Projo Danoedoro with eight votes, and so on,” she explained.
For Professor Wahyuni, the election process holds paramount importance, given the board’s strategic role in making substantive decisions. She expressed hope that with this interim replacement, the UGM Board of Trustees will be fortified to contribute while upholding the dignity and integrity of UGM.
“Because all decisions are in the hands of the Board of Trustees, the Academic Senate facilitates only the selection process. This process represents the best outcome we could achieve today,” she concluded.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photographer: Donnie