Thousands of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) academics flocked to the courtyard of UGM Main Office to participate in a flag ceremony for the 74th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia on Saturday (17/8).
“The celebration of the 74th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia in 2019 is not interpreted only as the release of Indonesian nation from colonisation,” said Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng, who led the ceremony.
Ceremony participants came in a parade, wearing traditional costumes and displayed cultural performances. The parade celebrated the cultural costumes as a form that accommodates value, philosophy, and views that are symbolically represented in the costumes and makeup. With theme of parade UGM Manages Differences, the event was aimed at sustaining and developing the cultural identity of the nation. UGM gave room to its academic community who come from different cultural backgrounds to promote those cultures and raise understanding.
Meanwhile, with theme of the 74th anniversary Excellent Human Resource, Indonesia Advances, the event signifies that human resource development becomes the key to success. The human resource ought to excel in all walks of life so they can compete globally in the Industry 4.0.
“We are aware that the industrial advancement in Indonesia would not suffice with just the infrastructure, this ought to be supported by better quality of the human resource,” said the Rector.
To achieve this goal, he said, universities ought to stand at the forefront and produce excellent and competitive human resource for the future. The demography bonus of the nation needs to be optimised by producing such human resources through improved education quality. Universities need also to improve themselves and adapt so as to achieve success in building the nation.
“The role of university as agent of change is awaited by the nation in order to respond to existing challenges,” he concluded.