YOGYAKARTA - Former UGM Rector, Prof. Dr. Sofian Effendi, MPIA, was elected as Chairman of UGM Board of Trustees on Wednesday (1/2) at the Office of Higher Education Directorate, Jakarta. Dr. Supama, M.Si was elected as Secretary. Along with 21 other members in the near future they will be in charge of organizing the Rector’s election.
Under UGM Bylaw, the election of Rector is implemented no later than three months before the Rector’s term of office expires. Current UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M. Eng. Ph. D., would put an end to his tenure in May 2012. However, due to his retirement which falls on 1 April, the election will be brought forward to March 2012.
"The Board’s urgent task is to elect the Rector. The Minister has said before the election that before Sudjarwadi retires, a new rector has been elected so that there are no administrative complications," Sofian said to reporters on Friday (3/2).
He added that in mid-February there will be a rector candidates registration and selection. Currently, election rules and formation mechanism of the selection committee are being processed. "Now, these are being formulated, hopefully, in one or two weeks these will be over," he said.
According to Sofian, the Board of Trustees will serve until there is new law governing the management of universities. Up to now we still use PP 66 Year 2010 by which the Board’s task will end up in December 2013. "So we're serving up to the next 23 months until there is a new law," he said.
In guarding and carrying out the Rector election, Sofian hoped those who will be elected as new rector can guard the implementation of UGM transition process from PT BHMN to an autonomous college. In addition to, he/ she can answer the challenge and opportunities faced by UGM in the coming years. "All of that requires a visionary Rector," he said.
Not only that, Sofian said, the new Rector is expected to unify and coordinate the 18 faculties at UGM as the potential to make a world-recognized university. "A Rector who is really a leader is required," he said.
The 23 members of the Board are from various elements of society, government representatives and community leaders, professors, businessmen and student representatives. These include Minister of Education and Culture, Muhammad Nuh, Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Mahfud MD, Yogyakarta Governor, Sri Sultan HB X, Sleman Regent, Sri Purnomo, and former mayor of Yogyakarta, Heri Zudianto.