Essentially, the diploma program aims to produce ready-to-work professionals. Qualified diploma and sarjana programs are certainly very needed by Indonesia today. “Graduates of sarjana and diploma programs should prepare themselves with different skills and competence. At work they both need each other, they can not even be separated,†said Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M.Eng., Ph.D., inaugurating 580 graduates of diploma program at Grha Sabha Pramana, Friday (18/2).
According to the Rector, this showed the need for graduates of vocational program or diploma program, not only to increase national productivity but also to improve national welfare. The government realized that condition. Through Ministry of National Education, the government is currently encouraging the growth of vocational schools in secondary and vocational programs in tertiary level.
To encourage the diploma program in order to be more qualified and independent, UGM integrated all diploma programs in one special institution called Vocational School. With this policy, Vocational School can focus its attention on more professional learning process. “It is expected to develop itself to be world class vocational institution,†the Rector added.
The inauguration of these 580 graduates means that since its establishment on 19 December 1949, UGM has produced as many as 208,392 graduates consisting of 29,602 graduates of diploma program, 132,894 graduates of sarjana program, 43,401 masters, 1,323 specialists, and 1,172 doctors. The average study period this time was 2 years 9 months. The shortest period was completed by Tyara Miranda from Faculty of Economics and Business. Meanwhile, the youngest graduate was Andri Setiawati from Faculty of Economics and Businessm who succeeded to be a graduate of diploma program when she was 18 years 7 months and 3 days old.
In this graduation as many as 109 people or 18.79% of all graduates gained cum laude title. Dewi Brataningsih from Faculty of Economics and Business recorded the highest GPA, 3.93.