A new rector of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) 2016-2020, Dr. Ir. Gunawan Budiyanto, M.P., was officially inaugurated by Head of Directorate General of Higher Education, Prof. Lincolin Arsyad and witnessed by Chairperson of Muhamamdiyah, Dr. H. Haedar Nashir, M.Si. on Saturday (31/12) at A.R. Fachruddin B, floor 5. Dr. Ir. Gunawan substituted the previous rector, Prof. Dr. Bambang Cipto, M.A.
In a remark, a coordinator of Private Higher Education Institution Coordinating Bodies (Kopertis) of Region V, Dr. Ir. Bambang Supriyadi, CES., DEA, stated that the new rector of UMY should be able to encounter new challenges. “Data showed that the number of state university students is 1.8 million students, while the number of private university students is 3.9 million students so that private universities will face bigger challenges due to having greater number of students than state universities. If depravity occurs in Indonesia, private universities are also responsible for it. Therefore, UMY are insisted to create graduates who can foster the future of Indonesia,” he declared.
Bambang also mentioned that 495 thousand of 668 thousand students holding bachelor’s degree are unemployed. “The number of graduates is more than the demand, but most of their profiles do not fit the market needs. Hence, one of UMY’s challenges is to create to graduates having excellent academic skills, life skills, interpersonal skills, and global skills that meet community demand,” he advised.
In addition, Bamabang thanked Prof. Bambang Cipto for leading UMY to obtain a lot of achievements. “I would like to congratulate UMY on the success of rector election and inauguration. Mr. Bambang Cipto has successfully brought UMY to this level. There is not any significant issues in the end of his leadership. Congratulations! Because of him, the quality of private universities in Yogyakarta increased. Thus, there are two private universities in Yogyakarta accredited ‘A’ that one of them is UMY,” he praised.
“UMY is also one of the twelve private universities encouraged to be top 1000 World Class Universities. I wish that what the previous rector achieved can be enhanced by the new rector,” he expected.
Meanwhile, a new rector of UMY 2016-2020, Dr. Ir. Gunawan Budiyanto, M.P. possessed a number of goals to achieve till the end of his leadership. “I target that 70 percent of UMY’s departments are accredited ‘A’, 60 percent of the lecturers holds doctoral degree, and UMY has 40 professors,” he mentioned.
He also added that one of the challenges of Muhammdiyah-affiliated universities is to contribute to Muhammadiyah itself. “UMY and other Muhammaidyah-affiliated higher education institutions should take a role in regeneration process of Muhammadiyah. We have to work harder as reflected on UMY’s visions and missions that this institution does not attempt for itself, but tries to be valuable for the people and the movement,” he asserted.
