In its 75th year, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing the nation through the development of science and technology, instilling noble values and nationalism in its community, and playing a significant role in shaping a superior and competitive future generation.
The Rector of UGM, Professor Ova Emilia, in her Rector’s Report speech delivered at the celebration of the Dies Natalis on Thursday (Dec. 19) at Grha Sabha Pramana, stated that this year’s celebration serves as a moment to reflect on UGM’s commitment to building the nation.
She emphasized the importance of progress in innovation and higher dedication to fostering nationalism, strengthening national identity, and forming a civilized and ethical society.
“UGM remains committed to producing a generation ready to face global challenges and contribute positively to the nation and society,” the rector said.
UGM’s achievements, including being ranked as the number one university in Indonesia for sustainability by the QS Sustainability Ranking 2025, are the result of collective efforts, hard work, and sustained, adaptive, and agile leadership.
These efforts have produced innovations that benefit national development and contribute positively at a global level.
However, as a state university with legal entity status, UGM faces challenges in a highly dynamic global ecosystem, ranging from climate change and environmental issues to cultural shifts, advancements in digital technology, geopolitical tensions, and socioeconomic inequalities impacting human welfare.
“In the global framework, the SDGs are a mainstream policy as a sustainable future becomes a shared vision for achieving more equitable and inclusive global welfare,” she stated.
To address these challenges, UGM continues to improve its education, research, and community service activities.
In education, UGM has developed a dignified and inclusive educational system through innovative technology-based learning models, transdisciplinary education, and cross-sectoral collaborations.
With the “university without walls” paradigm, UGM provides broad access to education for communities and vulnerable groups through geographically and economically affirmative education policies and various scholarship programs.
“The development of UGM Online as an open online learning platform is a concrete step to open access to quality education for the wider community,” she explained.
As a national university, UGM adheres to regulations to seek and admit prospective students with high academic potential but limited economic means through the Kartu Indonesia Pintar Kuliah (KIP-K) program. It also admits students from frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged regions (3T), ensuring at least 20% of all new students come from these groups. In 2024, 21.69% or 2,316 of the 10,678 new students admitted were from underprivileged and 3T backgrounds.
In research, UGM continuously advances innovation and translational research to deliver impactful results for society. In 2024, UGM recorded 880 intellectual property titles, comprising 92 patents, 751 copyrights, 26 industrial designs, and 11 trademarks.
Through flagship research and innovation programs, UGM has developed innovations supporting food security, health resilience, energy resilience, and digital transformation. These include fortified rice, Gama Gora 7, Happy Chicken Eggs, Malika Soybeans, Saekedelai, Gama Cattle, Vibrio Vaccine for fish, biofertilizers, and Gama Umami grass, among others.
In health, UGM has developed innovative products using high-quality natural ingredients, such as Cinnacare, Berwyn Dent, and Propasdent Propolis Toothpaste. It has also produced locally made medical devices, including digital microscopes to detect sugar, colorectal cancer early detection applications, and self-care foot tools for diabetes patients.
In energy resilience, UGM supports government policies to achieve energy security and clean energy transitions. Researchers have successfully conducted studies on lithium battery recycling and smart battery management. UGM also promotes the Net Zero Emission Campus program, incorporating energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and emission reduction initiatives across all campus operations to model sustainability in Indonesia.
UGM has also made advancements in digital technology, developing knowledge management, big data, future skills, shared services, and resources to provide excellent services to stakeholders. It has introduced applications like Desa Apps, Lentera DESA, iTrap, and the Sikendang innovation for agricultural sovereignty, particularly in addressing climate change.
To boost national and international publications, UGM incentivizes lecturers and researchers and increases postgraduate student enrollment. The postgraduate student proportion is targeted at 40% by 2027. As of the 2024 academic year, postgraduate students account for 30.87% of the total 61,061 students.
In community service, UGM deployed 315 units of KKN-PPM programs across 35 provinces, 29 regencies, and 247 subdistricts in 2024, involving 8,513 students from 18 faculties and one school. UGM also implements community-based research downstreaming and education through village development programs and appropriate technology applications.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photographers: Firsto and Donnie