1st Graduation Ceremony in Academic Year 2020/2021: UT Has the Ability To Create Quality Civil Servants

Indonesia Open University or Universitas Terbuka (UT) once again organized an online graduation ceremony for the second time, on Tuesday (24/11/2020). On the Graduation Ceremony Period I for the Academic Year 2020/2021, which was convened amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic, as many as 932 graduates were officially conferred with their academic titles and degrees after completing various studies starting from Diploma or Associate Degrees, Bachelor, to Master Degrees, including 12 graduates who are currently residing or domiciled in Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Belgium, Canada, France and the United Kingdom.

In his remarks, the Rector of Indonesia Open University or UT, Prof. Ojat Darojat, M.Bus., Ph.D., congratulated the graduates. Ojat hopes that the online graduation ceremony would not impair the significant meaning and joy for them as it is a very important moment in their academic accomplishment in UT. In such graduation, the Rector of Indonesia Open University or UT spoke about a theme on “UT Has The Ability To Create Quality Civil Servants” in relation to the outstanding achievement that UT has made as the university with most graduates who succeed to advance as the new Civil Servants or Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN). In the examination for Civil Servant Candidates or CPNS recruitment in 2019, as many as 9,436 UT alumni successfully passed the selection process and now become the new Civil Servants or Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN). It proves the quality of the UT graduates which are more competitive nowadays and are prepared to serve as Civil Servants or Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN) with adaptive, professional, competitive and global minded qualities.

In the same opportunity, Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly or the Republic of Indonesia or Ketua Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat Republik Indonesia, H. Bambang Soesatyo, S.E., M.BA., highly appreciated the UT’s accomplishment in developing more quality curriculum so it can produce competitive graduates who can meet the requirements of the job market. Bambang added that UT is more prepared in coping with the education sector which has adversely been affected by Covid-19 Pandemic as UT has applied distance learning by utilizing ICT since 36 years ago. Online Distance Education or Pendidikan Jarak Jauh (PJJ) is one of the solutions amid the limitations encountered by universities as they have not been able to conduct face-to-face classroom programs.

In such opportunity, the certificates of merit for academic excellence were presented to the best graduates for their outstanding achievement as they earned the highest Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) 4.00. Those who get the Graduation Predicate for their Excellence with Cum Laude are Robert Harry Soesanto (Study Program of Master of Education in Mathematics from the Distance Learning Education Program Unit – Indonesia Open University (UPBJJ-UT) Jakarta), Nyoman Mira Yantini (Study Program of Management from Distance Learning Education Program Unit – Indonesia Open University (UPBJJ-UT) Denpasar), I Kade Dwi Sumiantara (Study Program of Management from Distance Learning Education Program Unit – Indonesia Open University (UPBJJ-UT) Denpasar), Bahariah (Study Program of Management from Distance Learning Education Program Unit – Indonesia Open University (UPBJJ-UT) Majene) and Hairwan (Study Program of Management from Distance Learning Education Program Unit – Indonesia Open University (UPBJJ-UT) Majene).

A series of events in such graduation ceremony was concluded with the Recitation of the Oath of UT Graduate or Pembacaan Janji Wisudawan UT by Lela Setyianingsih from Distance Learning Education Program Unit – Indonesia Open University (UPBJJ-UT) Semarang who is also the youngest graduate in the ceremony. In the mean time, the expression of gratitude is also made by the representatives of the UT’s alumni who is represented by Achmad Tarmizi who is currently serving as the Regional Secretary (Sekda) of the Regency of Ogan Komering Ulu, South Sumatera. Finally, the presentation of the UT’s alumni from the Rector to the representative of Alumni Association of the Indonesia Open University (IKA-UT, Drs. Leles Sudarmanto, M.M.