SABACIREBON – Graduation is the culmination of the learning process in higher education. Graduation is a ceremonial event marking the end of students’ education and their right to hold a bachelor’s degree in accordance with their level of higher education.
Widyatama University, a private university with Excellent accreditation in Bandung, held its first graduation ceremony for the 2022-2023 academic year on Saturday (19/11), conferring degrees on 1,023 new graduates from various faculties and study programs at the university.
The Widyatama University meeting hall was filled with graduation participants and their families since early morning. Meanwhile, the graduation ceremony had been prepared thoroughly since two days ago.
The graduates consisted of 176 master’s degree holders, 497 bachelor’s degree holders from the Faculty of Economics and Business, 272 bachelor’s degree holders from the Faculty of Engineering, 55 bachelor’s degree holders from the Faculty of Humanities, and 23 bachelor’s degree holders from the Faculty of Visual Communication Design.
At the graduation ceremony, the rector of Widyatama University, Prof. Dr. H. Dadang Suganda, reminded the graduates to use this graduation as a stepping stone to become even better in the future.
Newly graduated scholars must dare to look to the future and have complete confidence in their success. “That confidence is a very important asset for graduates in navigating uncertain times such as now and in the future. Uncertainty can be overcome with confidence, which is built up during the course of study at this university,” said the Rector.
He further said that the final episode of the journey of studying at Widyatama University is actually the beginning of a more challenging journey to the next level.
Prof. Dadang Suganda and the entire Widyatama academic community hope and pray that the graduates will be truly competent (qualified) and well-received by society and the world of work.
In another part of his speech, the rector of Widyatama University also informed that his institution continues to make various improvements with sincerity, both in terms of quality and the improvement of educational facilities and infrastructure.
In addition, in the field of academic competence, Widyatama also continues to improve the quantity and quality of its Tri Dharma, namely teaching, research, and community service. Widyatama University also supports the government’s “Merdeka Belajar-Kampus Merdeka” (MBKM) program.
According to the rector, who is also a professor at Padjajaran University in Bandung, the Kampus Merdeka program encourages everyone to be lifelong learners. It also encourages the need to continue learning, explore talents and interests, and improve competency excellence in the new era of education and the Industrial Revolution 4.0 era.
“Changing the paradigm of learning in higher education is not just about attending lectures to learn, but learning how to work or be productive in various fields,” added Prof. Dadang.
The rector further said that the MBKM philosophy is also in line with the thinking of Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, who describe life as being full of color. Therefore, he hopes that students will not only learn on campus but also outside of campus so that they can experience the many colors of life.
Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, in their book “Squiggly Carrier,” say that everyone today must have a different mindset from the usual, namely a “squiggly” mindset. This is considered necessary in order to get to know the many colors of life in order to grow and develop.
There are six things that can be used as references for facing the twists and turns of life because opportunities for success can be found anywhere, he said.
Meanwhile, the rector also explained the achievements of Widyartama University, which has become one of the leading universities in West Java, especially in the city of Bandung, which in 2022 was ranked 62nd nationally by Unirank (Webometrics) and as the best private university in the city of Bandung.
According to the rector, Widyatama University currently has 5 faculties, namely:
Faculty of Economics and Business,
Faculty of Engineering,
Faculty of Humanities,
Faculty of Visual Communication Design
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.
In addition, Widyatama also has a Graduate School offering Master’s programs in Management, Accounting, and Professional Accounting Education. “Alhamdulillah, all of these study programs have received ‘A’ accreditation from BANPT,” said the rector.
In addition to a number of existing study programs, the Doctoral Program in Management for Postgraduates has also received its operational permit and has already started its lectures.
Widyatama University, which is under the auspices of the Widyatama Education Foundation founded by the late Prof. Dr. Koesbandiah Badul Kadir, currently holds an ‘A’ accreditation from the Higher Education Institution Accreditation Agency (AIPT).
Another achievement of Widyatama University is the accreditation from the British international certification agency ASIC (Accreditation for International Schools, Colleges, and Universities), which previously conducted visits to six undergraduate programs, namely: Management, Accounting, Industrial Engineering, Information Systems, English, and Japanese D3. All six programs have achieved international accreditation with a “Premium” (A) rating.
In addition, over the past 16 years, Widyatama University has also obtained ISO 9001:2015 Quality Assurance certification from the German certification body PT TUV International, which has completed its 15th surveillance audit. Widyatama is once again undergoing a quality audit from this international certification body.
As a private university with “Excellent” accreditation status, Widyatama University has been appointed as a model Career Center for universities throughout Indonesia.
Prof. Dadang Suganda also announced that Widyatama has signed an MoU with leading industries. It also has partnerships with more than 70 other industries that are focused on the 4.0 industrial revolution.
