The Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada held the Postgraduate Graduation Ceremony for Period I of the 2024/2025 Academic Year, celebrating the graduation of 86 students. This includes 78 Master’s (S2) graduates and 8 Doctoral (S3) graduates. Notably, 8 of the Master’s graduates are from the Fast Track program, having completed their undergraduate and master’s degrees in less than five years. Among them, Elia Laila Rizkya, a Fast Track graduate, became the youngest graduate with a perfect GPA of 4.0, earning her the title of the best Master’s graduate at the Faculty of Agriculture UGM and the youngest graduate in Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Meanwhile, the top doctoral graduate of this period is Dr. Dany Juhandy, S.P., S.Mc., from the Doctoral Program in Agricultural Science, with a focus on Agricultural Economics. He graduated through the research track with a GPA of 4.0 in just three years. As the representative of the graduates, Dany delivered a speech, acknowledging the accomplishments of his fellow graduates and expressing his gratitude to his parents, who were transmigrants without higher education, his wife, and the faculty members who supported his academic journey.
“I am deeply grateful to my parents. Although they are farmers who did not complete even elementary school, their unwavering support has enabled me to earn this doctoral degree with the highest distinction,” he said.
Dany also shared his story of consistently choosing less popular specializations, including Agricultural Economics in his doctoral program. Despite this, he became the first graduate in his cohort, driven by his belief that the truth is not determined by how many people follow it.
“Sometimes, the truth is not determined by how many people pursue it, but by how confident we are in facing it,” Dany stated.
On this occasion, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM, Ir. Jaka Widada, M.P., Ph.D., expressed his pride in the faculty’s contribution to reducing educational inequality in Indonesia. The fact that many students come from low-education family backgrounds serves as a motivation for their graduation to improve the welfare of their families.
“With this graduation, students have raised the educational level within their families. We hope this will serve as a steppingstone towards improving their families’ welfare,” the Dean said.
The success of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM in graduating 86 postgraduate students is a tangible testament to UGM’s support in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.
Reporter: Yomita Misya
Editor: Hanita Athasari Zain
Photo: Media Faperta