Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held the second day of the Postgraduate Graduation Ceremony for the First Period of the 2025/2026 Academic Year at Grha Sabha Pramana on Wednesday (Oct. 22).
A total of 1,094 graduates from eight faculties and one graduate school were officially conferred their degrees. They came from the Faculties of Agricultural Technology (FTP UGM), Engineering (FT UGM), Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA UGM), Animal Science (Animal Science UGM), Psychology (Psychology UGM), Law (FH UGM), Pharmacy (Pharmacy UGM), Biology (Biology UGM), and the Graduate School (SPs UGM).
Over the two-day ceremony, UGM graduated a total of 2,335 students, comprising 2,028 master’s, 102 specialists, 12 sub-specialists, and 193 doctoral graduates. Among them were seven international students. The average study duration for master’s programs this year was three years and one month, with an average GPA of 3.75.
One of the top graduates, Rizal Galih Pradana, from the Master’s Program in Psychology, achieved a perfect GPA of 4.00 and delivered a speech on behalf of the graduates on the second day.
The average GPA for doctoral graduates was 3.87, with the youngest graduate, Rizky Aflaha, earning her doctorate in Physics at the age of 25 years and 10 months from the FMIPA UGM.
Vice Rector for Education and Teaching, Professor Wening Udasmoro, congratulated all graduates for completing their studies at UGM. She emphasized that this achievement was not solely the result of individual effort, but also of support from her family, lecturers, and educational staff.
“UGM hopes that graduates will maintain the networks built during their studies while also finding joy in the next steps of their journey,” said Professor Udasmoro.
She also highlighted the importance of alumni networks as a space for cross-disciplinary collaboration that strengthens UGM’s contribution at both national and international levels. The vice rector urged graduates to continue learning and developing their knowledge for the benefit of society.
“Happiness is not merely an outcome but a process of finding meaning in life and work,” she remarked.
Representing the graduates, Rizal Galih Pradana stated that completing postgraduate studies is a testament to perseverance and determination. He reminded fellow graduates that the knowledge gained during their studies should not remain confined to academic spaces but be applied through meaningful contributions to society.
“The knowledge we acquire is too valuable to remain as pages in a thesis or dissertation. We must bring it to life through real actions and contributions in our respective fields,” said Pradana.
The graduate also emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing increasingly complex global challenges. He noted that modern societal issues cannot be solved through a single field of study, but rather require synergy across multiple disciplines.
“We live in an era where collaboration is no longer optional; it is essential. This spirit of collaboration is the very DNA of Universitas Gadjah Mada,” he asserted.
Concluding his speech, Pradana called on his fellow graduates to carry the spirit of ke-UGM-an (the essence of UGM’s values) wherever they go. He emphasized that being a UGM graduate means bearing the responsibility to continue the legacy of service and social empathy.
“We may not be able to make great changes today, but every small step we take, including thinking critically, showing empathy, and doing good, will be a light of change for this nation,” he concluded.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographer: Firsto Adi