Yogyakarta – Friday, February 7th, 2020. The REACH program is a routine agenda of the Master of Science and Doctoral Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (MD FEB UGM) as an introduction to institutions, academic direction, as well as enhancing soft skills for new students. After the previous day, 112 new students in the academic year 2019/2020 II attended the REACH Program on the first day which focused on the introduction of the institution. Further on the second day, students were provided with academic briefing material, including anti-plagiarism guidelines, and improvement of public speaking soft skills.
Beginning with joint gymnastics, students together with managers and educational staff participated since 06.30 WIB. In groups and accompanied by FORKOMSI representatives, new students are invited to recognize the campus environment that students will often access such as the Faculty Building, Central Library, Learning Center Building, to the University Central Building. The lively event of the REACH program was followed by breakfast together in the lobby of the MD FEB UGM building to the release of a dove by student representatives and colorful balloons by the program manager. Pigeons and colorful balloons symbolize the starting point for students to become cultured and insightful independent scholars.
The academic direction was continued in the BRI Auditorium Room MD Building with the first material “Student-Centered Learning” presented by Prof. Jogianto Hartono, MBA., Ph.D., and “Academic Support Tools” by Prof. Catur Sugiyanto, MA., Ph.D. Furthermore, considering that Yogyakarta is one of the most disaster-prone areas in Indonesia, with the composition of active volcanoes and southern seas that ranks second with the highest speed and direction of Rip current, then delivered the material “Disaster Risk Mitigation” by I Made Susmayadi, M. Sc. from the UGM Center for Disaster Studies.
The soft skills improvement program is one of the main parts of the REACH Program which is motivated by the aim of the study program, which is to produce graduates with research and analytical capacity who can have an impact on the development of scientific knowledge and social-community. One indicator of the realization of these objectives is the level of student publication in international-ranked journals of a certain rank. So, the MD FEB UGM program inserts the “Communication Skill” material delivered by Rr. Tur Nastiti, M.Sc., Ph.D., and “Writing Academic Documents and Anti-Plagiarism” by Nurul Indarti, Sivilokonom., Cand.Merc., Ph.D. The importance of this material is because plagiarism is a serious academic crime that is contrary to the UGM’s philosophy. As quoted from the statement of the manager of the Management Science Doctoral Program FEB UGM: “The ability of academics is known through publication, the quality of publications is determined by the personal capacity to express ideas in writing, and the quality of ideas is generated from the treasures of reading”.
Until the event closed with a group photo. -RP