JAKARTA. Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University (UGM) announced on Friday that it would appoint one of its five deputy rectors to replace former rector Pratikno, who resigned following his installment as state secretary in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s Cabinet.

The chairman of UGM’s board of trustees, or Majelis Wali Amanah (MWA), Sofian Effendi, said the board would invite the five deputy rectors – deputy for academic and student affairs Iwan Dwiprahasto, deputy for planning, finance and information systems Didi Achjari, deputy for research and community services Suratman, deputy for human resources and assets Budi Santoso Wignyosukarto and deputy for cooperation and alumni affairs Dwikorita Karnawati – to attend a selection meeting on Nov. 15.

“According to our statute and AD/ART [rules of association], if [the UGM] rector resigns during his or her tenure, the MWA will select a replacement from the existing deputy rectors,” Sofian, also a former UGM rector, said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post.

The university’s MWA has 25 members, including Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono, former Yogyakarta mayor Herry Zudianto and Golkar Party politician and businessman Luhut Binsar Panjaitan.

The MWA members, according to Sofian, would assess the five candidates based on their personal track records, vision to develop UGM, academic network and research.

Established in 1949, UGM is one of the country’s oldest and biggest universities, offering more than 200 study programs.

Pratikno was a UGM political science professor and was the university's 14th rector.

President Jokowi is also an alumnus of the university. (Hasyim Widhiarto)

Editor: Hendra Gunawan