Chair of Board of Trustees of UGM, Prof. Dr. Pratikno, M.Soc.Sc., spoke at a workshop themed UGM’s Strategy to Welcome Indonesian Centennial amidst Global Competition and Disruptive Innovation, on Friday (7/7) at the Senate Hall UGM. To the participants who were university leadership, Board of Trustees, Academic Senate, and Board of Professors, he explained the important role of UGM to help minimise the disruptive effects of advancements.
“We were often startled (by emerging problems), then giving a late response. There has to be someone that monitors the state problems that arise, if not we will keep get startled,” he said.
He reemphasised the jargon “rooting strong soaring high; which was inspired by his predecessor, then Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M.Eng. Ph.D.
“I was trying to interpret the concerns of Prof. Djarwadi, UGM has international reputation and world ranking, but the question is what is its contribution nationally. We obviously have to soar high, but what makes it so is its contributions, the spirit of the Tridharma university motto for the progress of the state,” he said.
He proposed that in the Academic Senate be made a special commission to monitor, oversee, and formulate responses to national needs, global competitions, and disruptive innovation and technology.
Pratikno further proposed the establishment of a commission to deal with intracurricular activities, extracurricular activities, and social environment of the students of UGM.
“Our duty is to produce qualified human resources for humanity and state progress, not just smart and skillful graduates. Building qualified human resource not only in terms of intracurricular activities, but also social environment that highly affects the students,” the State Secretary said.
According to Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng, D.Eng., this kind of workshop would be run periodically to unite all UGM working units as well as to gather input and views from leading figures that are valuabe to UGM. He said this was one way to improve the capacity of UGM in leading the efforts to accelerate national goal achievement.
“UGM continues to improve making innovation and strategic steps so that the quality of UGM continues to increase, able to lead the efforts to accelerate national prosperity achievement,” said the Rector.
Panut added this forum was expected to be the media to formulate strategies to manage academic programme which is in line with the value of Pancasila, the Constitution/UUD 1945, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, and national motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.
“Hopefully, UGM that has the identity as a university with Pancasila value can be made a role model in how to manage students so when they graduate they will be leaders with character. The inputs gained in the forum will be the point of our attention to prepare for the strategic plan in the next five years,” he said.