Workshop Penguatan Karakter Akademik Mahasiswa
Workshop Penguatan Karakter Akademik Mahasiswa
Building the academic character of students as Indonesia’s future graduates with strong identity is necessary to do. Presently, the character of students are not mature enough, not reflecting a strong identity. So, strengthening of academic character that is in line with the mental revolution movement launched by the government is required. Mappings based on student academic maturity instrument based on Indonesian values need to be done.
As a form of realisation of the mapping, a workshop is conducted, entitled Strengthening of Academic Character of Students as Indonesia’s Graduate Candidates on Wednesday (20/7) in the Senate Hall UGM. Initiated by the UGM Board of Professors collaborating with the Magister Management Program of Higher Learning, Graduate School, the workshop was attended by Rector of UGM, UGM professors, deans, lecturers, and graduate students. The event aims at formulating outlines for the development of academic character maturity assessment as Indonesia’s graduate candidates. “The formulation of the outlines will be made the initial capital to the drafting of student academic character strengthening as part to support the government’s mental revolution movement,” said Prof. Dr. Sahid Susanto, MS.
The Workshop presents resource persons such as Prof. Dr. Agus Sartono, MA (Deputy Head for HR Empowerment and Culture), Dr. Ary Ginanjar Agustian from ESQ Leadership Center Jakarta, Prof. Dr. Siti Chamamah Soeratno from Aisyiah women’s organisation, and Prof. Dr. Mochamad Maksum Machfoedz (Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta Province).
Agus Sartono said that one of character strengthening lies in integrity, work ethics, and cooperation. Without integrity, life is meaningless. He added the current weak work ethics also affects the student character. “So, we have to enlighten the students that there is no struggle that ends fruitless, in order that their work ethics increases,” he said.
Ary Ginanjar touched upon radicalism issue among academic community, He said this was caused by the imbalances between three factors, logic, feel, and mind. “If the three factors, logic, feel, and mind, are imbalanced, radicalism will emerge. What is dangerous is not the kind of radicalism that incites suicide bombing and the likes, but intelectual, emotional, and spiritual imbalances of the student character,” said Ary.
In the end, moderator, Prof. Dr. Gunawan Sumodiningrat, M.A., said that the preparation for student character can start since the welcoming of new students events where they have to learn Pancasila character education. Gunawan said the direction of Pancasila has to be explained in detail in the curriculum.