Universitas Gadjah Mada held a flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the Birth of Pancasila. The ceremony, attended by thousands of members of the UGM academic community, took place in front of the Balairung UGM on Sunday (Jun. 1) and was led by UGM Rector Professor Ova Emilia.
In her address, the Rector of UGM reminded the audience of the post-truth phenomenon, marked by the rise of hate speech on social media, the spread of misinformation and disinformation, the strengthening of identity politics, and the resulting polarization and fragmentation based on ethnicity, religion, race, and societal groups.
These developments, she noted, can create tensions and threaten social cohesion, ultimately undermining the sustainable development of the nation.
Universitas Gadjah Mada, which affirms its identity as a Pancasila University, is committed to advancing national enlightenment through the development of knowledge and the strengthening of character among the nation’s future generations, individuals who are not only of high integrity and dignity but also globally competitive.
“A renewed appreciation for the values of Pancasila within higher education can be realized through the preparation of excellent human resources for national development by strengthening nationalism, fortifying the national identity to be adaptive, innovative, and solution-oriented, and enabling them to actualize themselves in contributing to the advancement of a dignified nation,” she said.
Professor Emilia stated that, throughout the dynamic history of the Republic, Pancasila has not only fulfilled a formal role but has also been consensually recognized as a shared living space and the foundation of national life.
As a value system, Pancasila has been internalized as a guiding reference for citizenship, offering direction and a shared purpose.
As both the foundation and goal of national development, Pancasila manifests in policy practices that shape the nation’s way of life. Development without an ideological foundation, she emphasized, would be fragile and could lead to inequality and dehumanization.
To strengthen the ideology of Pancasila, democracy, and human rights, these values have been incorporated into the Asta Cita mission set forth by the government to realize Golden Indonesia 2045. This commitment supports Indonesia’s progress in alignment with Pancasila’s core vision, fighting for an increasingly advanced, prosperous, just, and civilized Indonesian identity.
“These aspirations include affirming the role of the state in preparing the golden generation, young people of exceptional quality, strong character, and competitiveness, to drive development across various sectors,” she concluded.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photographer: Firsto