The Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Dr. Arie Sujito, inaugurated 76 new leaders of Student Activity Units (UKM) and student communities at the UGM Multimedia Room on Tuesday afternoon (Mar. 10). During the ceremony, each UKM and community sent a representative to be inaugurated, witnessed by the advisors of UGM student organizations.
The inauguration ceremony began with the handover of official decrees for UKM and the student communities. The UKM decree was received by Yasser Gerard Rigel Hakim Khan (Taekwondo Student Activity Unit) as the representative of the Student Activity Units, while the community decree was received by Fathia Khairani from the Outstanding Student Community as the representative recipient of the community decree. The ceremony continued with the recitation of the Sapta Prasetya oath, led by Nayla Nurul Sakinah from the Kempo Student Activity Unit, followed by the inauguration of all student representatives.
The Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Community Service, Dr. Arie Sujito, stated that the inauguration of student organization leaders is part of the responsibility to place UGM’s student organizations within a space, instrument, and tradition that strengthen achievement, leadership, and experience. According to him, these efforts are part of the learning process at Universitas Gadjah Mada.
“Let us express our gratitude to God Almighty that this afternoon we can gather to consolidate the inauguration of student organization leaders. Through this inauguration, Universitas Gadjah Mada facilitates student activities as mandated in our strategic plan. On this occasion, we are facilitating around 76 university-level student organizations, which we consider to have very important and strategic roles,” he said.
Reflecting on the developments in 2025, Arie said student organizations had undertaken numerous innovations and transformations to strengthen the learning ecosystem. For this reason, he expressed appreciation to student organizations that have been highly productive in achieving performance targets, supported by a quality assurance system for UKM that has evolved into a more systematic monitoring and evaluation model.
“In line with current developments, we hope that this transformation will not merely become a formal symbol but will truly create a positive impact. This transformation also aims to position student organizations as spaces for innovation and collaboration that can contribute to the academic community, both for campus activities and society,” he said.
Arie hopes that student organizations will become representative and aspirational institutions that build character and leadership. He explained that UGM has been recognized nationally as a high-performing university in student affairs management. The university’s achievements, acknowledged by the government and other institutions, were made possible through the hard work of students and lecturers, especially the advisors of student activity units.
“Therefore, I congratulate all leaders who were inaugurated today. I wish you success in carrying out the responsibilities entrusted to you, as you are the driving force of change who will bring this transformation vision into reality,” he said.
On the occasion, Arie also encouraged students to continue thinking critically, striving for achievement, and becoming role models. He hopes students will remain resilient and not discouraged as they maintain a tradition of critical thinking. He reminded them not to become objects in struggles for power, economic interests, or political agendas, but instead to position themselves as creative and intelligent actors.
“I believe you are all educated individuals who will become future leaders. Your involvement in arts, sports, and organizational activities will strengthen your leadership skills and will be valuable not only today but also after graduation, as these experiences will become part of your learning journey,” he explained.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photo: Firsto