UNS – Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security (Menkopolhukam) RI, Mahfud MD, expected that Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta graduates become a smart and wise person. In his remark for the Period III Online and Offline Graduation Ceremony, Saturday (27/6/2020), Mahfud MD cited the quote ‘sarjana yang sujana’ (Wise Scholar) delivered by the first Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Yogyakarta, Prof. Sardjito.
“An important message I want to deliver to the students graduated today is for you all to be a wise scholar. A good and kind scholar. University should not just create scholars, but wise scholar, or sujana in Javanese,” Mahfud MD stated.
Mahfud MD explained that there are two important things in creating wise scholars. These factors are the quality of conscience and intellect excellence. These factors are included as one of the objectives of the establishment of The Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) as stipulated in the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution, which is to educate the nation’s life.
“In the Constitution, one of the objectives of this country is to educate the nation’s life, not to educate one’s brain. In the life intelligence, there is character intelligence, emotional, spiritual, while the other intelligence is the brain. This is where brain intelligence and characteristics, the glory of character and excellence of the brain. This is intellectual, this is a scholar,” Mahfud MD explained.
Critical thinking is another character needed to shape a wise scholar. Critical thinking appears in a person who questions the steps they will take using facts and logic. A scientist needs to find a path between idealism and realism, because between these two is where critical thinking lies. At the end of his remark, Former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) from 2008 to 2013 left a message for UNS graduates to be brave in applying their knowledge.
In the Period III Graduation Ceremony, UNS graduated 329 students from doctoral, magister, specialist doctor education, undergraduate, and diploma program. This number consists of 8 students from the Doctoral Program, 60 students from Magister program, 12 students from Specialist Doctor Education, 229 students from the undergraduate program, and 20 students from the Diploma program. A hundred and thirty-one students were graduated with compliments (cum laude). Humas UNS/ Yefta