Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M.Sc., Ph.D has been inaugurated as rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada for the period between 2014-2017 at the Senate Hall of UGM, Monday (24/11), attended by all university leadership as well as Board of Trustees.
Chairperson of UGM Board of Trustees, Prof. Dr. Sofian Effendi, said that after a meeting, the Board had decided to elect and appoint Prof. Dwikorita as rector of UGM for the period 2014-2017. She replaced Prof. Dr. Pratikno, M.Soc.Sc, who became State Secretary.
“Prof. Dwikorita is the first female academician that is elected as rector,” said Dr. Sofian.
The task of the new rector, said Sofian, is to consolidate the output of higher learning to the national demand that has not yet been met, also optimising graduate programme, which currently stays at 25 percent of the total UGM students.
Rector of UGM for the period 2012-2014, Prof. Dr. Pratikno has been acknowledged to have elevated to UGM’s status as reference for humanity and Indonesia’s leadership in the global era. He hoped the new rector could UGM produce graduates who are civilized, modest but smart whilst making contribution to the world.
Prior to her new role as UGM Rector, Prof. Dwikorita was the university’s Vice Rector for Cooperation and Alumni Relations. She is a Professor in Engineering and Environmental Geology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Indonesia. She was also a Fulbright Adjunct Professor in San Diego State University, USA from 2011 to 2012; and as the Leverhulme Professor in the Institute of Advanced Study – Bristol University, UK in 2003. She graduated with a PhD from the Department of Earth Sciences, at Leeds University, UK in 1996.
Her contributions to science have been internationally recognized by receiving the International Award from the International Consortium – United Nation International Strategy on Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR) in 2011 and with her appointment as the Vice President for the International Consortium on Landslides, due to her innovative efforts in developing Community & Indigenous Technology-based for Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction.
Prof. Dwikorita said the new government arrangement of the Ministry that manages higher learning could be an opportunity for UGM to become socio entrepreneur university.
(with reports from UGM News)
