Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Prof. Dr. Sofian Effendi inaugurated Prof. Dr. Pratikno., M.Soc, Sc., Dean of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences as Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada for the period 2012-2017. The inauguration was based on Universitas Gadjah Mada Decree No. 11/SK MWA/2012 on Termination and Appointment of the Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada. It took place on Monday, May 28, 2012, 10:00 am at the Senate Hall of UGM.
The inauguration was attended by members of the House of Representatives, Priyo Budi Santoso, the Governor of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, as well as civil and military officials and local governments. In addition, the event was attended by students, faculty, and academic staff. "Since the end of the term of Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M.Eng., Ph.D. as Rector, it is necessary to elect his successor. Prof. Dr. Pratikno., M.Soc, Sc., has been elected and is eligible for appointment as rector," Dr. Supama, M.Sc., Secretary of the BoT said in his report.
Prof. Dr. Sofian Effendi said the Rector is one position in the front ranks of the leadership of universities in Indonesia and Asia region. On the other hand, this position contains challenges, obstacles, and trials. "I hope you can deal with it in full strength and courage. I invite us to carry out this noble task with the best possible way to do what is best for students, for the people of Yogyakarta, the people of Indonesia, for the nation, and for the country," Sofian said in his remarks to the new Rector.
Article 31 of the Constitution of 1945 states that founding fathers have pledged in the shortest time to be equivalent with colleges in developed countries. Unfortunately, that goal has not yet been fully achieved because of the strong spirit of government to regulate the management of state-owned universities, including UGM.
It is known that the founders of UGM under the leadership of Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX aspired to make Yogyakarta in general and UGM in particular as place of education for young people from all over Indonesia. In this city, the spirit of unity, nationalism, and Indonesian-ness is expected to be formed and nurtured by the universities, in which UGM plays an active role.
In another part of his speech, Chairman of the BoT called attention of the new Rector to the construction of research capacity at UGM. In international forums admirations are often heard from other countries on the achievements in the development of democracy, decentralization, reform, alternative energy, food security, and electric cars. But unfortunately, the nation’s great achievement in these areas is more widely supported by the research and publication of foreign researchers which in the study may be assisted by Indonesian researchers. "As members of academic community of a big university that teaches almost all branches of sciences, UGM should be able to set up best research centers in the world in the areas of Indonesia’s excellence, namely the study of democracy in a pluralistic society, decentralization within the unitary state government, reform, and research in other fields," he said.