The values of UGM synergy well-known as 5K Synergy, they are Kampus (Campus), Keraton (Palace), Kampung (Village), Komunitas (Community), Korporasi (Cooperation) can still be felt until today. This fact is shown through the UGM Nitilaku commemoration, a cultural parade from the Yogyakarta Palace to the UGM Central Building, held from 2012 to last year that has always been rousing.
The behavior is regularly enlivened by parades that involve UGM academics and all levels of society. In the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Nitilaku of National College 2020 would still be implemented even though it was held virtually.
Even though it was held virtually, the Nitilaku of National College 2020 still went well with an atmosphere of joy without reducing its solemnity. The walking parade from the Kraton to Bulaksumur was substituted with a greeting from the UGM Anniversary from the Regional Office of KAGAMA in Indonesia and abroad, as well as faculties and units at UGM.
Airlangga Hartarto, as the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, represented the statement from Joko Widodo as the President of the Republic of Indonesia. He said that the meaning of Nitilaku commemoration was to recall the birth of UGM, which could not be separated from the important role of the Yogyakarta Palace and the founders of the nation. In 1949, Ir. Soekarno, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, and several figures were yearning to improve the quality of Indonesian human resources, who were just independent at that time, to receive more undergraduate education.
“With the generosity of Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, lectures were initially allowed to take place at the Yogyakarta Palace. He also warmly granted 183 hectares of land in Bulaksumur to build the UGM Lecture Building, which is still used to present,” said Erlangga Hartarto.
According to him, the message from Nitilaku commemoration is not just about the moving process of UGM lectures. More than that, all UGM academics and students will keep long-lasting memories of their historical roots, cultural values, and, most importantly, remember the nation’s founders’ intentions and efforts in increasing the capacity of Indonesian human resources.
Meanwhile, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, when he was opening the Nitilaku in twin years, stated that it had been a tradition for a long time. The Nitilaku event was held as a form of celebrating the UGM anniversary. In the history of its establishment, there also appeared the role of Yogyakarta’s university founders’ predecessors.
“Then the most important thing is noto-laku to perform nanting-laku so that the spirit of UGM becomes pandom pandoming (being whole-hearted) behavior in life,” he said.
UGM was founded to establish its identity as a university of effort, a national university, a public university, the Pancasila University, and a cultural center university. These titles are all the future hopes that UGM will later become the actor of change towards a new advanced civilization with firmly holding in its traditions.
Sultan expected that with the greatness of the literacy of the professors, the collective intelligence of the teaching staff, and the invasion of researchers and creative inventors, hopefully, that UGM will be well-ready in the era of digitalization and the industrial revolution 4.0 and be able to survive the Covid-19 pandemic.
“With these hopes, I warmly welcome and appreciate the Nitilaku of National College 2020 of 71st UGM Anniversary and 62nd KAGAMA Anniversary commemoration for continuing to progress for the alma mater, the nation, the state as well as the Indonesian people,” said Sultan.
UGM Chancellor, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng., IPU., ASEAN.Eng revealed that Nitilaku is an effort to recall the history of Yogyakarta Palace’s support for UGM, which has still existed to this day. At the beginning of the UGM lecture, with the support of Sri Sultan HB IX, he used houses around the Kraton for the lectures activities until it was moved to the Bulaksumur campus.
“Accordingly, until now, we remain to maintain a good cooperation between the Kraton, Campus, Village, Community and even entrepreneurial actors in Yogyakarta, and therefore we still remain to launch this annual event,” he said.
Ganjar Pranowo, as the General Chairperson of Kagama, appreciated the virtual implementation of the Nitilaku event 2020. Although we are still fighting in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to him, UGM is not passive and even remains to carry out the Nitilaku tradition with innovations to still contribute to the nation.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Translator: Natasa A