Dr. Murpin Josua Sembiring, SE, M.Sc., is trusted to serve as Rector of WidyaKartikaUniversity period 2013-2017. He replaces the previous Uwika’s 2009-2013 Rector, Dr. Ir. Gembong Baskoro, M.Sc., who has done his period. The handover and inaugurationwere held on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 in Uwika’s Hall on 4th floor.
In his grreting speech, Dr. Murpin said, one of the challenges of private universities in East Java in particular and Indonesia in general, is about its output/graduates profiles. Namely: honesty and toughness are still low, minimal initiation and intention, lack of ability to work with others, and leadership skills are still weak. In addition, they are still difficult to admit and accept other people’s opinions, cannot express rational and responsible ideas, and only hope to work instead of creating employment (entrepreneurship).
Furthermore, the college graduates’ profile output becomes worse because there is no link with the demand requirement. “Graduation only becomesa new adding machine of intellectual unemployment. This pattern occurs because the lack of authentic learning, business-industry-manufacturers do not mutually contribute to sharpen college’s curriculum with proper necessity. Learning process which is too common causesdisoriented and unfocus demand, “he said.
- Dr. Murpin Josua Sembiring, S.E., M.Sc. (left) with Dr. Ir. Gembong Baskoro, M.Sc.
He added, in Higher Education Long Terms Strategy (HELTS), Directorate General of Higher Education (Dikti) has introduced the paradigm of higher education with four main elements,namely autonomy, accountability, accreditation, and evaluation. It is as an effort to improve the quality continuously and also as the arrangement starting point for Higher Education System in facing 2020. Products and processes of higher education are required to meet certain standards set in accordance with the demands and needs of the user community. “Universities’ creativity, ingenuity, and productivity will be better if it is managed in a flexible manner based on principles of autonomy and self-responsibility, utilizing the principles of entrepreneurship,” he continued.
According to him, higher education institutions as centers of education, research, and community service activities should focus more on knowledge acquisition. Not only as a center for teaching and learning activities in terms of dissemination of knowledge, but universities should also be the center of intellectual excellence (center of excellence and intellectual enterprises) which have the maximum benefit for wider community and the nation.
“In the past five decades, universities around the world have been racing to upgrade its infrastructure, quality of human resources management and college institutions in order to ensure a superior and refer-qualified development of science and technology,” he explained.
In the same opportunity, Dr. Murpin also invited to the entire academic community to unite in one harmonious coexistence quality. In addition, each element must be able to be the locomotive to raise WidyaKartika University. “We have to be grateful and rethink about the old way and result. But, it’s time for us to find opportunities, new ways, new mindset and formula, new strategies and tactics to achieve new results which are more advanced as part of the triumph of the University of WidyaKartika Surabaya. I do not have all the answers. But with me, all possibilities can be opened widely, “he said.