Senior Vice-Rector for Academic, Research and Community Service of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Prof. Dr. Retno Sunarminingsih, M.Sc., Apt., installed eleven new officials at the Main Meeting Room of LPPM on Tuesday (30/3), witnessed by the University’s and Faculty’s Leadership. The new officials are Dr. Suharko, S.Sos., M.Si.(Vice-Dean, Administration, Finance and Human Resource, Faculty of Social and Politics), Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mohtar Masoed (Head of Center for Security and Peace Studies), Prof. Dr. Muhadjir Muhammad Darwin, M.P.A. (Head of Center for Population and Policy Studies), and Prof. Dr. Ir. Fransiscus Xaverius Wagiman, S.U. (Head of Center for Biological Control Studies).
Furthermore, Prof. Drs. Jumina, Ph.D. (Head of Center for Energy Studies), dr. Ir. Eni Harmayani, M.Sc., (Head of Center for Food and Nutrition Studies), Dra. Kwartarini Wahyu Yuniarti, M.Med.Sc., Ph.D. (Head of Center for German Studies), Dr. Aris Arif Mundayat (Head of Center for Southeast Asia Social Studies). The rest are Ir. Irfan Dwidya Prijambada, M.Eng., Ph.D. (Acting Head of Center for Japanese Studies), Dr. Ir. Erny Oedjirahajoe, M.P. (Head Center for Agro-ecology Studies), and Dr. Sri Djohar Winarlien Sugiharto, S.U. (Head of Center for Women Studies).
"I very much hope for the support and performance from the new officials, particularly to support the implementation of the Rector’s Decree No 77 Year 2008 on Centers of Studies, which includes good governance and organisation, good establishment, problems in establishment, operation and change of name and dissolvement of centers of studies, which will lead to the assessment by the Quality Assurance Office," said Prof. Retno in her speech.
To realise UGM as World Class Research University (WCRU), she asked all centers of studies to make planning to improve their performance. As an integral part of UGM, centers of studies are not free from evaluation to improve quality. "The one already good should still be improved for even better quality, based on research cooperation," she said.
To support the ideal, each center will be asked to improve networking internationally, with the industry and the government. Those centers are also expected to run performance quality assurance in cooperation with the LPPM. "We hope that the centers can have good governance internally, including implementing budget year plans. One day the centers will be evaluated by external auditors, and they can be made random sampling by the external auditors," she added.
Prof. Retno specifically paid attention to the change of names of some centers of studies relating to the assignment of experts, such as Center for Clinical Pharmacology and Medicine Policy Studies. So is the Center for Women Studies that will change into Center for Women and Child Protection Studies. "It is expected that the new names can bring better performance. The Center for Security and Peace Studies is expected to synergise existing researches, while Centers for Japanese and German Studies are hoped to extend cooperation, not only in culture but also science and technology," she expected.
Attending the ceremony were Dean of Faculty of Social and Politics, Prof. Dr. Pratikno, Executive Secretary, Drs. Djoko Moerdiyanto, M.A., Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Ir. Didik Purwadi, M.Ec., Chair of Council of Professors, Prof. Drs. Suryo Guritno, M.Stats., Ph.D., Secretary of LPPM, Dr. Wisnu Nurcahyo, Director for Academic Administration, Dr. Budi Prasetyo Widyobroto, D.E.A., D.E.S.S., Director for Human Resource, Harjadi, S.H., M.M., and others.