UT Worked Together with Local Governments to Promote University GER

Universitas Terbuka (UT) signed Memorandum of Understanding with 4 Local Governments (Pemda), including the Government of the Province of Bali, the Government of the Province of East Kalimantan, the Government of the City of Tangerang Selatan and the Government of the City of Tebing Tinggi. The events were held amid the graduation ceremony period II Academic Year 2021/2022 on Tuesday (23/08/2022) at Universitas Terbuka Convention Center (UTCC). The convention was attended by the UT’s Rector Prof. Ojat Darojat, M.Bus., Ph.D.; Governor of Bali Province, Dr. Ir. Wayan Koster M.M.; Governor of East Kalimantan, Dr. Ir. H. Isran Noor, M.Si.; Mayor of Tangerang Selatan, Drs. H. Benyamin Davnie; Acting Mayor of Tebing Tinggi North Sumatera, Muhammad Dimiyathi, S.Sos., M.TP.; Director of UT Denpasar Regional Office, Agus Tatang Sopandi, S.Sn., M.Pd.; Director of UT Samarinda Regional Office, Drs. Rusna Ristasa, M.Pd.; Director of UT Medan Regional Office, Dra. Yusrafiddin, M.Pd.; Head of Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), Dra. Dewi Artati Padmo Putri, M.A., Ph.D., as well as other UT’s high-rank officials.

In his speech, the UT’s Rector stated that in order to provide the public with the access to higher education in local regions, UT works together with the local governments. He hopes that with the established collaboration, UT will be more optimally participating in promoting top-quality and competitive human resources toward Golden Generation of Indonesia or Generasi Indonesia Emas. University Gross Enrollment Rate (GER) or Angka Partisipasi Kasar (APK). Without the support from other parties, UT’s expectation to play more active roles in the development of the nation during the difficult time of post-pandemic would be difficult to materialize. In this opportunity, the Rector thanked to the Governor of Bali Province, the Governor of East Kalimantan, Mayor of Tangerang Selatan and Mayor of Tebing Tinggi, North Sumatera for their supports extended to UT for providing the people with the access to higher education in order to realize Article 31 of the Constitution UUD 1945 related to the rights of the people to obtain higher education.

Governor of Bali Province supports the Universitas Terbuka’s roles to increase university GER which is now 34% with the minimum ideal target of 40%. He hopes that UT will be more endeared and gain positive response from the people of Indonesia. If seen from the total number of UT’s students which is now 350.000 and the number of the students who are graduating today that is 1,680, it proves that UT has become more well-known among the people. In addition, he also hopes that UT’s graduates can compete and catch up with the global development. UT plays important roles in the global current in the days to come. In conclusion, he said, “no countries in the world that would be able to compete without quality and competitive human resources.” For the Government of the City of Tangerang Selatan, the partnership is a need and solution in response to the limitation attached to the local development programs. In this opportunity, the Mayor of Tangerang Selatan expressed that the human resource development through higher education plays significant roles for the advancement of the City of Tangerang Selatan in the future. With top-quality human resources, the progress in various sectors can be readily accomplished. He hopes that the collaboration that has been established between the City of Tangerang Selatan and UT will bring about significant impacts for each institution.

In his address, the Acting Mayor of Tebing Tinggi North Sumatera said that the City of Tebing Tinggi has become the support city of special economic zone as it has the tourist destinations, namely Lake Toba and the International Airport Kuala Tanjung. Hence, the City of Tebing Tinggi must provide quality human resources who can keep with the vision and mission of the City of Tebing Tinggi, which is “City of Trade Services with Religious and Faithful Human Resources.” With the cooperation with UT, Tebing Tinggi will bring university higher education to the City of Tebing Tinggi and the surrounding area. Pada this opportunity, the acting Mayor of Tebing Tinggi North Sumatera congratulated UT which is currently undergoing the transformation from Public Service University or Perguruan Tinggi Badan Layanan Umum (BLU) to a University of Incorporated Legal Entity toward an independent university.

Governor of East Kalimantan said that of its 3.7 million population, most of its university graduates are UT’s alumni. Therefore, the partnership with UT is very important. He added that UT is one university that can respond to the global challenges, where the education system in Indonesia has shifted to online as it has been taking place in the last 2 years. UT has developed online education system for the past 38 years.

The signing of Memorandum of Understanding was done by the UT’s Rector and the Governor of Bali Province who was accompanied by the Director of UT Denpasar Regional Office for the implementation of Three Principles of Higher Education Institution (Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi) in Bali Province, which was followed by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by the Rector and the Governor of East Kalimantan who was accompanied by Director of UT Samarinda Regional Office on the Cooperation in Education, Research, and Community Services, and then, the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by the UT’s Rector and the Acting Mayor of Tebing Tinggi, North Sumatera accompanied by Director of UT Medan Regional Office on the Cooperation in Education, Research, and Community Services, Human Resources Quality and Capacity Building, and Integrated Permitting Services in the City of Tebing Tinggi as well as the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by the Rector and the Mayor of Tangerang Selatan who was accompanied by the Head of Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) on the Cooperation in the Implementation of Education, Research, and Community Services.