Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) organized a symposium on Human Resource and Professional Development on Saturday (5/8) at A.R Fachruddin B. It aimed at encouraging lecturers to enhance their quality through conducting research. Besides the symposium, there was a conferment of the tittle honorary professor for Prof. Dr. Achmad Nurmandi as the first professor of Governmental Studies.
In his remark, Rector of UMY stated, “One of the ways to foster teacher qualities is to support lecturers to pursue their doctoral degree. This year, 111 lecturers will take their doctoral degree that this university offers scholarships for the 88 lecturers while the other 23 lecturers gain scholarships from external parties. Last year, many lecturers of Medical and Health Science Faculty pursued their doctoral degree so that other lecturers are motivated to reach their doctoral degree. Thus, UMY through Office of Human Resources attempts to accelerate the teacher development. I wish that all lecturers can hand in hand to develop UMY.”
Coordinator of the Kopertis (Coordination of Private Higher Education Institutions) Region V of Yogyakarta Dr. Ir. Bambang Supriyadi, DEA conveyed that a higher education institution will not grow if the lecturers and parties do not support the institution. “A higher education institutions parties and lecturers have to think about how to exceed standards of Internal Quality Assurance System (SPMI) of an institution. If they can surpass the standards, the institution and lecturers are remarkable. Lecturers only focused on education and teaching so that they rarely did research. Government is now improving and controlling lecturers’ teaching load. Indeed, lecturers holding master’s degree can propose to be a senior lecturer, but they mush publish their research on international journals. Besides, each higher education institution should concern with the development of the human resources as determining time for open recruitment, gaps, and retirement,” explained Bambang.
Meanwhile, Directorate General of Sciences and Technology of Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Educatin (IPTEK KEMENRISTEK DIKTI) emphasized that higher education should concentrate on character development. “Lecturers should be able to perform Tri Dharma (the Three Principles) or even Catur Dharma (the Four Principles) of Higher Education, namely education, research, community service, and character building. The three principles are the responsibility of not only students but also lecturer as well as all people involved in teaching and learning processes. Hence, lecturers’ conducting research is a way to implement the principles. Indeed, lecturers’ character development is a basis to enhance teacher quality and increase the amount of research. To actualize the goals, the Kopertis and higher education should encourage lecturers to carry out research, to pursue their doctoral degree, or to be a professor,” maintained Ali.
