The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FMIPA UGM) officially opened its 70th Anniversary (Dies Natalis) and 14th Lustrum celebration series on Friday (Jul. 11) morning at the FMIPA UGM Building courtyard.
The opening ceremony, held lively, carried the theme “Transformation of Science and Technology Towards Golden Indonesia 2045.” This manifests FMIPA UGM’s commitment to continuously innovate, contribute, and answer the challenges of the times through meaningful science for society.
The opening procession was symbolically marked by striking a gong by the Dean of FMIPA UGM, Professor Kuwat Triyana. He was accompanied by UGM Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni, Dr. Arie Sujito, and the Vice Deans of FMIPA UGM.
This moment was accompanied by an angklung performance by the vice deans and followed by the launching of FMIPA UGM’s mascot (Si Maman).
After that, the academic community members present in the field formed a formation shaped like the number 70, symbolizing the opening of the event series.
Dean of FMIPA UGM, Professor Triyana, welcomed and delivered a report on the implementation of activities and the faculty’s achievements.
He highlighted the real challenges currently faced by higher education, especially in the context of financial sustainability.
He emphasized the importance of breaking free from old mindsets and beginning to create breakthroughs. This is so the faculty remains adaptive and relevant.
“Our finances are unstable. So we cannot continuously only think about our own rights,” Professor Triyana said.
He added, “We need to think about how our graduates’ careers are guaranteed and how our faculty can enter social spaces and contribute meaningfully to society.”
One of FMIPA UGM’s excellent initiatives currently being developed is active involvement in strengthening national cooperatives through the Merah Putih Cooperative program.
Through the development of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, FMIPA UGM strives to encourage transparency in cooperative management while preventing potential misuse of funds.
FMIPA UGM is also building strategic collaborations in the energy sector. This involves utilizing technology to manage old oil wells in various regions.
By supplying technology, cooperatives, local governments, and FMIPA UGM can synergize to form a technology-based business ecosystem that benefits many parties.
Meanwhile, Dr. Arie Sujito also expressed his appreciation for the spirit of transformation promoted by FMIPA UGM.
He emphasized that this transformation of science and technology is not just jargon but a key to the nation’s future.
“Therefore, I hope FMIPA UGM will continue to be a knowledge hub capable of answering the challenges of the times and contributing to various aspects of life,” Dr. Sujito said.
Dr. Sujito also emphasized that the nation’s future is largely determined by the quality of the younger generation shaped by educational institutions.
Therefore, universities, faculties, and the entire academic community need to build cross-field and cross-generational cooperation. This aims to create a robust and inclusive educational ecosystem.
“Many of our alumni are now strategic partners in innovation development. We need to maintain and nurture this collaboration, so that future strategic achievements can be attained together,” Dr. Sujito added.
The opening ceremony was then followed by a series of subsequent events, including Zumba aerobics, a joint breakfast, and a health check.
The Dean of FMIPA UGM also announced that there would be an activity within this Dies Natalis series called Science Planner.
This is a science and technology innovation competition with a total prize of Rp100 million. At this opening, FMIPA UGM also provided electric car test drives, provided by industry partners.
Author: Lintang Andwyna
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographs: FMIPA UGM