UNDIP Rector Delivers Appreciation and Recommendations During the Indonesian Rector Forum Conference

The Indonesian Rector Forum Conference and the XVI Campus Convention and XXII Annual Meeting have just been held at Bogor on Saturday (07/07/2020). The activity was held online with IPB University as the Host.

The Indonesian Rector Forum Conference and the XVI Campus Convention and XXII Annual Meeting raised the theme “Optimization of the Freedom of Learning Movement to Face the Industrial Revolution 4.0 in Realizing Excellence and Advanced Indonesian Human Resources”. The conference was attended by the Honorary Guest of the President of the Republic of Indonesia Mr. Ir. Joko Widodo. In his remarks, he advised all tertiary institutions to no longer be focused on routine activities, but must move extraordinary to face the 4.0 industrial revolution which continues to move rapidly and significant changes in all sectors of life, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and currently going on the new normal order.

Also present as a Speaker namely the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Prof.Dr. Muhadjir Effendy, S.Pd., M.A.P. which conveys the Vision of a Superior HR in the New Life Order; Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mahfud MD., SH., SU, M.I.P who served as Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security which emphasized the Strengthening of the Nation’s Character for Advanced Indonesia; Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Anwar Makarim, BA., M.B.A who explained the Implementation of the Merdeka-Merdeka Learning Campus for Excellent HR; Also present were the Minister of Research, Technology and Head of the National Innovation Research Agency Prof. Bambang P. Soemantri Brodjonegoro, SE., M.U.P, Ph.D. who explained the National Innovation for Advanced Indonesia; and also the Rector of IPB, Prof. Dr. Ari Sat Sat, SP., M.Sc. which describes the Improvement of Higher Education Innovation Quality for Advanced Indonesia. Acting as the seminar moderator namely Prof. Dr. Dwia Aries Tina Palubuhu, MA as the 2019 FRI Advisory Council which is the Rector of Hasanuddin University.

In his report, Diponegoro University Rector Prof.Dr.Yos Johan Utama, SH., M.Hum, the 2019 FRI Chair, expressed his appreciation and recommendations from the previous Discussion and Seminar. Discussion and Seminar on Law and Nationality at UNDIP; Mental Revolution and Education at UNNES; Revitalization of Higher Education at UGM, Economics, Social, Culture at UNHAS; Merdeka Campus at UNISMA; Internationalization of Higher Education at Narotama University and Food Security at IPB University. The main recommendations made in general are as follows:

1. Indonesia’s human development must prioritize the national character strengthening.
2. Philosophically, national education is a systemic and measurable process to transform nationalist insights into students’ personalities so that they are characterized as being intelligent and responsible citizens.
3. To continue mentoring the nation’s mental to create a strong human being.
4. The government needs to require state defense education with Pancasila as the nation’s ideology.
5. The Indonesian economy will experience a huge correction because of the changes that continue to occur, especially since there is a world recession and the Covid-19 pandemic.
6. The government should focus on increasing export-oriented industries by taking domestic economic needs into account.
7. The role of the government is needed as an institution that has the authority, ability and vision to help universities that are experiencing adaptation difficulties.
8. Domestic higher education institutions need to get sustainability protection from the Government in facing global competitiveness.
9. The “Freedom of Learning and Freedom of Campus” policy that places students to build their competence needs to be supported by character and obligations to the state.
10. The disparity in the quality of higher education institutions in Indonesia is very high, for this reason the Government as an advisor is obliged to educate the people and encourage the institutions to achieve international quality.
11. To achieve strong food security, the Government needs to adopt a policy requiring industry to cooperate with universities in conducting research and community service to produce innovations that are useful and have commercial value.

Prof. Yos also said that the FRI appreciated the Government’s policy of providing tuition assistance for 419 thousand 3,5,7 semester students affected by the pandemic in addition to 200 thousand KIP K for new students and 267 thousand KIP K on going (Bidikmisi, ADIK, etc.) with a total budget of 4.1 T for the odd semester 2020/2021.

The seminar was closed with a Plenary Session with the reading of the recommendation for the Determination of the FRI 2020 Elected Chairperson, Rector Prof. Dr. Arif Satria, SP., M.Si and Election for the Chair of the FRI 2021 namely Prof.Ir.Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D. Eng., IPU, ASEAN Eng. Who act as the Rector of UGM.

As an introduction to the end of the seminar, the Minister of State Secretary Prof.Dr.Pratikno, M.Soc., Sc. expressed his appreciation to the Indonesian Rector Forum who were responsive and adaptive with rapid changes by improving the quality of online learning and higher education innovations that supported the economy by cooperating with the industry.