SABAKOTA.ID – The graduation ceremony for students earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees is commonly held through a commencement ceremony. This was also done by Widyatama University when it graduated 1,120 new bachelor’s and master’s degree holders on Saturday, June 25, 2022.
This graduation ceremony was similar to previous ceremonies held during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were conducted both online and offline.
The ceremony took place at the GSG building of Widyatama University and was broadcast live online by UTama TV, allowing graduates who participated online to watch the event.
The Widyatama University (UTama) graduation ceremony was attended by 350 people offline and 770 other graduates online.
On this occasion, the Rector of UTama, Prof. Dr. H. Dadang Suganda, advised the graduates that their newly obtained academic degrees came with a high level of responsibility so that they could make valuable contributions to society, the nation, and the country.
The Rector also reminded the graduates to use this momentum as a stepping stone to become better individuals in the future. This is important so that UTama graduates are capable and brave enough to face the future and have full confidence in achieving their dreams.
Confidence, according to the Rector, is a very important asset for graduates in navigating uncertain times, both now and in the future. Because uncertainty can only be overcome with confidence that has been built up during the course of study at this campus,” he said.
Prof. Dadang also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to the parents of the graduates for entrusting the education of their sons and daughters to Widyatama University.
In another part of his speech, the Rector explained that Widyatama University continuously and earnestly strives to improve the quality of quality assurance and educational facilities and infrastructure in accordance with needs.
In addition, the university he leads also continues to support government programs, particularly “Merdeka Belajar-Kampus Merdeka” (MBKM). “Kampus Merdeka encourages us to become lifelong learners, to continue learning, to explore our talents and interests, and to improve our competencies in the new era of education and the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0,” said Prof. Dadang.
Regarding the MBKM program, he also reminded that changing the learning paradigm in higher education is not only about attending lectures to learn, but also learning how to work in various fields.
According to the Rector, the MBKM philosophy is in line with the thinking of Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, who believe that life is full of colors. Therefore, students are expected to not only study on campus but also learn outside of campus.
This is so they can get to know the many colors of life.
The Unpad professor also reminded the audience that Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis wrote in their book “Sqquigly Carrier” that everyone now needs to have a different mindset than usual, namely a squiggly mindset. This means that everyone needs to get to know the colors of life in order to grow and develop.
Prof. Dadang also quoted part of the book written by Tupper and Ellis, which states that there are six things that can be used as references so that everyone can achieve success in facing uncertainty and pursue a better life in the future.
The six references include: Strengths vs. weaknesses; Self-confidence; Successful experiences; Networking/connections/relationships; Possibilities vs. plans; and Values.
The Rector also shared a number of achievements and successes made by the Higher Education Institution he leads, including that UTama, one of the leading private universities in Indonesia, especially in Bandung and West Java, was ranked 63rd nationally in 2022 based on the Webometrics ranking. UTama is also listed as the 1st best private university in the city of Bandung.
Widyatama University, which is under the auspices of the Widyatama Education Foundation, currently has 5 faculties, namely the Faculty of Economics and Business, the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, the Faculty of Visual Communication Design (DKV), and the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP).
In addition, Widyatama also has a Graduate School offering Master’s programs in Management, Accounting, and Professional Accounting Education. All of these master’s programs are accredited “A” by BANPT. In addition to the S2 graduate program, Widyatama has also obtained an operational permit and has started lectures for the S3 Doctoral Program in Management.
In early 2022, Widyatama also received an “A” (Excellent) accreditation status from the Association of Higher Education Institutions (AIPT).
In addition, the British international certification agency (ASIC) has also conducted visits to six undergraduate programs, namely Management, Accounting, Industrial Engineering, Information Systems, English, and Japanese. All six programs received international accreditation with a “Premium” (A) rating.
(Source: sabakota.id)
