Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) conducted Period II Graduation Saturday (20/02) at Sportorium of UMY. There were 886 students who graduated comprising five vocational students, 770 undergraduate students, and 111 graduate students.

Rector of UMY, Prof. Bambang Cipto, M.A. congratulate the graduates and advised them to keep learning and preparing themselves for confronting ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). “We have been facing ASEAN Economic Community, and the alumni should be well-prepared to encounter it,” he declared.

He also wished that graduates of UMY can be ready for World Trade Organization (WTO). Besides AEC, I expect that the alumni can prepare themselves for WTO so that you have to always learn and learn,” Prof. Bambang conveyed.

Wahyu Beny Kurniawan, S.E. a Management student as well as the best graduate gaining GPA of 4.00 stated, “We are now confronting globalization so that there are three aspects to be prepared, namely knowledge, skills, and attitudes,” he mentioned. He argued that having knowledge and abilities is essential, but both would be useless if they are not complemented by good attitudes.

“Especially in encountering globalization era, if we do not have good attitudes, we may not be able to compete with other countries. We have to have high sustainable competitive advantages,” he contended. He emphasized that the graduates should possess high dreams in order that the efforts to achieve the dream are great as well. The dreams do not mean daydreams, but strategic dreams.