The President of the National University of Singapore (NUS), Professor Tan Eng Chye, and an NUS delegation accompanied by the Rector of UGM, Professor Ova Emilia, visited the UGM Faith & Spirituality Center and the UGM Innovation and Creativity Hub (GIK UGM).
This visit was part of a series of activities for the UGM-NUS collaboration.
On Monday afternoon (Sep. 2), the UGM and NUS delegation began their visit by inspecting UGM’s Spirituality Center on Jl. Podocarpus, Sendowo. This facility was recently inaugurated in December 2023, coinciding with UGM’s 74th anniversary.
The complex consists of two churches, one for Catholic religious activities and the other for Christian worship, a vihara for Buddhist practices, a temple for Confucian worship, and a pura for Hindu religious services.
The UGM Rector, accompanied by several UGM deans, introduced each place of worship. According to the rector, the construction of this facility reflects UGM’s efforts to foster character development and inclusivity.
“The UGM community is very diverse, and it is important to accommodate this diversity, especially in matters of religion,” Professor Emilia explained to the NUS delegation.
Professor Tan Eng Chye and the NUS representatives then visited each place of worship to learn about Indonesia’s religious diversity, reflected in the buildings. Several comments were made by the NUS delegation, including discussions on the philosophy of pura and the Saka calendar system.
Professor Tan Eng Chye made one remark: “The diversity at UGM is very unique, with each having its philosophy.”
The NUS delegation continued their journey to the GIK area by electric bus. Upon arrival, they were greeted by Dr. Hargo Utomo, Director of Business Development and Incubation at UGM, and the GIK management team.
He accompanied the rector and the deans in introducing the various areas within GIK. The visit showcased the facilities in the 83,000-square-meter area, including classrooms, a student center, office spaces, and a rooftop.
During a meeting in one of the classrooms, Dr. Utomo explained the programs and activities that will support the establishment of GIK.
“GIK, a super creative hub in Southeast Asia, will become the center of UGM Science Technopark and the Innovative Academy, a startup incubation program at UGM.”
The UGM and NUS delegations then visited each startup booth that emerged from the Innovative Academy program, including Inspirasien.
“Inspirasien is a platform that supports healthcare and patient advocacy in Indonesia by providing easier access to essential needs, especially for patients with chronic diseases,” explained one of Inspirasien’s representatives to Professor Tan Eng Chye and Professor Ova Emilia.
The NUS delegation listened attentively to the explanation of the startups launched in 2021 and engaged in lively discussions about program development. They also took some startup products as souvenirs.
“Keep up the great work,” encouraged Professor Tan Eng Chye.
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif