UGM Vocational College (SV UGM) held a Family Day event on Saturday morning (Aug. 24) to kick off the 3rd lustrum and 15th-anniversary celebrations.
The event invited all staff, lecturers, the dean’s office, and their families to participate in various exciting activities. A relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere was intentionally created to strengthen solidarity and foster connections among the academic community of SV UGM.
In his opening speech, Professor Agus Maryono, Dean of SV UGM, encouraged the academic community to support the sustainable development of vocational education in Indonesia.
According to him, vocational education is vital in connecting the academic world with the workforce through collaboration between the government, students, the private sector, and society.
“We want to make UGM Vocational College a safe, comfortable, and progressive academic space for all academic community members,” Professor Maryono said.
He also mentioned that in preparing for Indonesia’s Golden Age in 2045, vocational schools are expected to be the “Trojan horse” to achieve this goal.
“We cannot have a Golden Indonesia with only 8% of students enrolled in vocational schools. Therefore, we need to improve the quality of this 8%,” he explained.
On this occasion, Dean Maryono reaffirmed UGM Vocational College’s commitment to becoming a faculty free from violence and harassment. All parties must uphold this commitment to create a conducive academic environment.
“There should be no violence on campus and no sexual harassment. We also aim for zero suicides, as we should all care for one another,” the dean added.
Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman, Chairman of the Anniversary Committee, stated that this year’s theme is “Vocational Innovation Toward Golden Indonesia,” emphasizing the strengthened role of vocational education in industry and community empowerment.
“For this year’s celebration, we are synergizing and elaborating activities from departments and student activities,” he said.
The series of events will run continuously from August to October.
Dr. Sulaiman added that the anniversary celebrations also feature community empowerment activities. Over the past 15 years, SV UGM has partnered with various sectors, including government, private, and community.
Specifically, SV UGM has been conducting community empowerment programs in areas around the campus, districts in the Yogyakarta Special Region, and other cities. These programs are part of the vocational school’s contribution to society.
“There are community service activities from UGM’s academic community, both around the campus and in other areas. This is part of the vocational school’s contribution, locally in Yogyakarta and beyond,” Dr. Sulaiman added.
The opening of this anniversary celebration series began with a group exercise. All participants enthusiastically joined in unique activities designed to foster teamwork among SV UGM’s work units.
There were competitions such as fruit tumpeng decoration, blood donations, a children’s fashion show, fun games, and door prizes. An acoustic music performance from the Vocational Music Forum, dance performances, and presentations from various departmental work units also enlivened the event.
Several partners, including PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper, PT Samator, BCA, Mandiri, BNI, and Bank UGM, supported SV UGM’s Family Day.
Author: Tasya
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif