Alumni are an essential pillar since they can become role models and boosters of students. To motivate students and interweave good relationship with the alumni, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) conducted Alumni Awards 2019 on Friday (3/4) at lobby of Graduate School building of UMY.
Vice Rector for Students, Alumni, Al-Islam and Muhammadiyah Movement Affairs Hilman Latief, M.A., Ph.D. stated that several stages were undertaken to get winners of Alumni Awards. “Dozens of alumni names were proposed by departments and lecturers of UMY to a secretariat of the Alumni Awards. Afterwards, we selected them and decided who deserved to achieve the awards,” told Hilman.
Meanwhile, Rector of UMY Dr. Ir. Gunawan Budiyanto, M.P. declared, “The Alumni Awards shows how a university maintains its relationship with alumni and appreciates their performance. I wish that the Alumni Awards can become an annual event since it represents that UMY alumni have contributed in wherever they are and become great people as filmmakers, writers, CEOs, and directors,” he conveyed.
“We also invited alumnus to come to a commencement to trigger graduates. We expect that our graduates can always think positively, never give up, and possess high motivation. Alumni with the characteristics are the ones who we need,” added Gunawan.
At Alumni Awards Gala, Outstanding Alumni Awards was rewarded to Dr. Lalu Muhamad Iqbal who is an alumnus of Department of International Relations of UMY of batch 1991. He was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo as Indonesian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Turkey in Ankara. In his remark after achieving the award, Lalu mentioned, “In this occasion, I would like highlight some aspects about UMY. UMY has gone through a phase to prove its existence. UMY has been acknowledged everywhere. Noticed from the alumni, one of the alumni works in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and finished at the first place. Thus, no one who graduates from UMY feels intimidated. UMY has evinced itself by having incredible alumni. They become one of the triggers for students to reach their dreams,” maintained Lalu.
“I think that everyone admits that UMY is one of the outstanding university. The next stage after demonstrating its existence is attesting its contribution. Our community and nation should perceive that UMY alumni can contribute. Thus, this Alumni Awards may encourage the alumni to always give their contribution,” asserted Lalu.
Additionally, the other award category of the Alumni Awards was Alumni Achievement Awards given to an alumnus from each faculty of UMY. The awardees were an academician and Muhammadiyah activist in Nusa Tenggara Barat H. Falahuddin, S.Ag., M.Ag.; a film director Yuda Kurniawan, S.IP.; Director of PT WAHANA ARTA MAS (WAM GROUP) Muhammad Akbar, S.T.; an environmental activist Dr. Bintari Wuryaningsih, S.E., an entrepreneur (an owner of Bahana Batik) Erwin Yuniati, S.H. a bureaucrat and environmental activist Dr. H. Aready, S.E., M.Sc., a bureaucrat and announcer Lukmanawati Rahayu, S.P.
