In order to welcome the graduation ceremony of University of Muhammadiyah Prof. DR. HAMKA (UHAMKA) in 2011-2012 Academic Year, UHAMKA held a series of scientific talk delivered by the Minister of State for the Control of the State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reformation, Ir. Azwar Abubakar, State Minister of Research and Technology, Prof. Dr. Ir. Gusti Mohammad Hatta, and the Chairman of Central Development Body for Human Resource Education of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Dr. Unifah Rasyidin, M.Pd, on December 14, 2011 at UHAMKA main campus in Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta.
According to UHAMKA Rector, Prof. Dr. H. Suyatno, M.Pd, the presence of the two ministers aims to give motivation and insight to UHAMKA's prospective graduates reaching 2,285 people. The two lectures are also expected to spark the new graduates to apply their knowledge when being in a working world.
Prof. Dr. Ir. Gusti Mohammad Hatta stresses the importance of science for the life of humankind. Science and technology have a role to make human's daily activities easy. Therefore, educational institution, especially higher education should actively develop science and technology. It can be done by increasing research done by lecturers as well as students. He also supports higher education to fully commit to developing research suitable to the Three Principles of education: Education, Research, and Public Service.
The State Minister of Science and Technology is very proud with the achievements of Indonesian students in the field of science and technology. One of the achievements is Indonesian students got a gold medal in several world-level olimpiads in math and physics. He is also proud of UHAMKA student who got an Indonesian Innovation Award 2011 conducted by the Ministry of Science and Technology this year.
Especially for research, Gusti Mohammad Hatta hopes every higher institution keeps developing research, and the finding should be patented. This is important to keep the quality of the research and acknoledgement from other parties. In the future, the ministry will cooperate with business sector to develop the research which has very limited budget.
Ir. Azwar Abubakar says that human resource should be developed. Indonesia is not only rich in natural resources but also human resources. Unfotunately, abundant human resources get less optimum improvement. As a result, human resource competitiveness is left behind other countries. He hopes UHAMKA can commit to developing human resource through education because education can create skill and mental attitude.
Azwar Abubakar hopes the graduates can create job through entreprenuerial program. This is very important because gevernmental institution is very limited. They should focus on creating employment rather than finding employment. He also feels grateful that 60% of the graduates have worked. The same thing is expressed by Dr. Unifah Rasyidin, M.Pd. According to her, as a higher institution, UHAMKA has been successful in creating teachers. UHAMKA has spread teachers around Indonesia.
Unifah Rasyidin hopes that the graduates having been a teacher must be more professional and must be proud of themselves. Based on a survey, teaching profession is people's interest after medical doctor. (www.uhamka.ac.id)
(trans by hamzah - uhamka)
