Alumni are an integral part of growth and development of a university. Alumni are one of parameters in development and improvement of competitiveness as well as parameters for university’s position at national and international levels.
Currently, Undip’s position from QS AUR is still at 281-290 and QS WUR is below 1000, so there is a need to increase Undip’s ranking globally. Recently these efforts have yielded results, as for the first time Undip has successfully entered the ranking of THE WUR 2021, where Undip is ranked 1001+ in the world and ranked 4th in Indonesia. One of the strategic programs carried out is improving the quality of graduates according to international graduate standards and to the main performance indicators based on criteria of QS WUR, namely Employer Reputation.
The number of Diponegoro University Alumni as of July 2020 is 222,836 graduates spread across various regions and even abroad, and having various professions and positions. The large number of alumni is a potential for the development and branding of the alma mater. This potential needs to be managed properly in order to provide benefits for Diponegoro University, alumni, and community.
As an effort to improve Undip to be a World Class University (WCU), the Directorate of Communication and Alumni Relations of Undip in collaboration with the Undip Rating Office has carried out “Talk Show of Strengthening UNDIP Alumni Network in 2020”. This activity aims to strengthen friendship between Diponegoro University and alumni, to discuss strategic issues for strengthening Undip alumni networks, to map the challenges of Undip Alumni in Industrial Era 5.0 and alumni contributions to Undip’s development, to increase the role of alumni in branding of Undip, as well as to optimize alumni data bases, including for QS Employer Reputation.
Talk show activities to strengthen the 2020 Undip Alumni network have been carried out in series, namely from Series 1 to Series 7. Series 1 starts on August 15th 2020 and Series 7 on November 10th 2020. In Series 1 to Series 6, talk shows are mainly aimed at Undip alumni who are domiciled in local cities, namely in the following areas: DKI Jakarta-West Java-Banten, Central Java-DIY-East Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi-Bali-NTB-NTT, Papua-Maluku. Talkshow Series 7 is aimed primarily at Undip alumni who are living abroad. In the implementation of these talk show activities, Undip collaborates with IKA Undip.
The speakers invited at Talk show Series 1 to Series 7 are: Plt. Undip Vice Rector III – Dwi Cahyo Utomo, S.E., M.A., Ph.D. Akt; Head of Undip Rating Office – Prof. Dr. Denny Nugroho Sugianto, ST., M.Si and the alumni including: Deputy Chairperson of Undip Alumni Family Association (Ikatan Keluarga Alumni Undip) – Drs. H. Akhmad Muqowam; German Ambassador – Dr. Arif Havas Oegroseno, SH., M.H; Ambassador of Malaysia – Drs. Hermono, M.A; Rector of Tanjung Pura University – Prof. Dr. H. Garuda Wiko, S.H., M.Si, FCBArb; Cenderawasih University Rector – Dr. Ir. Apolo Safanpo, ST., M.T; Director General of Taxes of the Ministry of Finance – Suryo Utomo, SE., Ak., MBT.
In his speech, Undip Rector, Prof. Dr. Yos Johan Utama, SH., M.Hum. said that in the era of Independent Campus, students are required to improve their skills, and alumni have potential and ability to play a role in improving student skills through an internship program at alumni companies / institutions.
As an effort to increase the alumni network, Diponegoro University has developed a device, namely Single Sign On (SSO), where this system allows alumni to connect to Undip website, to access available facilities, and to connect with alumni. SSO will continue to be developed to meet the needs of increasing alumni network, as conveyed by Plt. Vice Rector III Undip Dwi Cahyo Utomo, S.E., M.A., Ph.D. Akt.
In addition to the SSO system that already exists at Undip, to increase alumni network, a special platform is needed for alumni managed by the alma mater, as stated by Dr. Arif Havas Oegroseno, SH., M.H and Drs. Hermono, M.A.
Undip Alumni Family Association (IKA) represented by Deputy Chairman, Drs. H. Akhmad Muqowam, who welcomes and strongly supports the 7 Series of Talk Shows. He hoped that at the end of the activities, some ideas could be recommended for Undip and IKA Undip, as ideal and practical steps to be carried out in the future to strengthen alumni networks.
At the implementation of the event, alumni both at home and abroad welcomed and were very enthusiastic about participating in the talk show. They give many contributions in form of sharing experiences, providing creative, valuable, and useful ideas as input to strengthen Undip alumni network. The effort to strengthen Undip alumni network are increasing the alumni data base, mapping the potential of alumni in each region, and increasing the synergy between alumni with the alma mater as continuation of collaboration between alumni and Undip. By the implementation of the 7 Talk Show series, it is hoped that in the future there will be a stronger synergy between alumni with the alma mater and there is realization and manifestation of strong collaboration between alumni and our beloved Diponegoro University.