Singaraja- Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha (Undiksha) held a public lecture with the theme “Creating a Superior Generation through KIP Kuliah Merdeka” by presenting speaker Dr. Abdul Kahar, M.Pd., Friday (23/2/2024).
This activity was opened by Undiksha Chancellor Prof. Dr. I Wayan Lasmawan, M.Pd. In his speech, he conveyed that the essence of a state is how to manipulate the state as a system that is formed and built together with its citizens. Providing the KIP Kuliah Merdeka scholarship is one form of the state’s presence to its citizens. According to the Chancellor, Prof. This opportunity can be optimized by each individual. “It is up to each citizen to take advantage of this opportunity,” he said.
Apart from that, the Chancellor from Bonyoh Village, Kintamani, Bangli also said that by 2030 Undiksha is targeting zero master’s degrees for lecturers. Therefore, lecturers who are still in Masters are encouraged to immediately continue their education at the doctoral level.
He also added that this year Undiksha plans to increase the new student ratio by 7,039 seats which the Ministry has approved. This aligns with Undiksha’s plan to move towards Legal Entity Higher Education (PTN-BH) because one of the indicators is the student body. Therefore, he also hopes that in the future the KIP Kuliah Merdeka recipients at Undiksha can be improved and lead Undiksha to bring the nation’s children into a better generation.
On the other hand, the resource person, Dr. Abdul Kahar reminded students who received KIP Kuliah to increase their gratitude. In this activity, various programs were also presented for lecturers who were still Masters. Based on data from national lecturers assisted by the Ministry of Education and Culture, only 20% of lecturers have Doctoral degrees and 72% still have Master’s degrees. The highest academic position for a lecturer is to be a Professor, which requires that you have a Doctoral degree. Therefore, Abdul Kahar explained that currently there is an Indonesian Education Scholarship (BPI) program whose scheme is intended for lecturers, teachers, and cultural actors. “So lecturers must take advantage of the opportunities that exist,” he said.
Apart from BPI, he also said that there are many scholarship programs provided by the government for both prospective students and lecturers, both for domestic and foreign universities. Therefore, it is hoped that this opportunity will be used well, and remember to make good preparations because there are no scholarships that are not competitive. One of the things that must be prepared according to Abdul Kahar is mental, especially for lecturers who want to continue their education abroad. “The way to do this is to find a mentor who you can invite sharing “who have studied at the target foreign university,” he explained.
It is hoped that this activity can motivate students and also lecturers who are still in Masters to be able to take advantage of existing opportunities to continue their education.
This public lecture was also attended by the Vice Chancellors, Deans, Head of the Academic and Student Affairs Bureau, Deputy Deans III, Heads of Departments, Study Program Coordinators, Lecturers who are still Masters in Undiksha, and students receiving KIP Kuliah. (hms)
