Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) once again reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening educational quality, human resource development, and humanitarian values through the inauguration of four new professors on Tuesday (12/5/26) at the Main Meeting Hall of the Rectorate Building. The inauguration not only marked individual academic achievements but also reinforced UNY’s contribution in addressing educational challenges in the era of artificial intelligence and global disruption.
The four academics inaugurated were Prof. Dr. Iis Prasetyo, M.M., Prof. Dr. Rukiyati, M.Hum., Prof. Dr. Sekar Purbarini Kawuryan, M.Pd., and Prof. Dr. Kastam Syamsi, M.Ed. The academic themes presented by the professors reflected a strong common thread: adaptive, humanistic, and future-oriented education.
The Rector of UNY, Prof. Sumaryanto, expressed his appreciation for the academic achievements of the newly inaugurated professors. According to him, this inauguration was a special occasion as it was held as part of the university’s 62nd Anniversary celebration. “Congratulations on the inauguration of our professors today. This is the highest academic achievement resulting from a long process of dedication, research, and commitment to the advancement of knowledge,” stated the Rector.
The Rector also revealed that UNY is currently preparing proposals for 40–50 associate professors within the next 18 months in order to meet the university’s threshold for managing senior academic promotions. He added that the achievement would bring pride and satisfaction to senior academics as they witness the success of their junior colleagues at UNY.
During the inauguration, Prof. Dr. Iis Prasetyo, M.M. was inaugurated as Professor in the field of Human Resource Development at the Faculty of Education. Through his speech entitled “The Role of Nonformal Education in Human Resource Development in the Era of Industrial Revolution 5.0,” he emphasized the importance of nonformal education in supporting community upskilling and reskilling to adapt to changes in the workforce.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Rukiyati, M.Hum., Professor in the field of Values Education at the Faculty of Education, highlighted the urgency of strengthening ethical education amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence through her speech entitled “Strengthening Ethical Values Education as an Essential Fortress for Students in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.” According to her, education must remain grounded in shaping morally responsible and civilized human beings.
The idea of humanistic education was also emphasized in the speech delivered by Prof. Dr. Sekar Purbarini Kawuryan, M.Pd., Professor in the field of Social Studies Education at the Faculty of Education. In her speech entitled “Fostering Empathy through Social Studies Education in Elementary Schools as the Foundation of Humanistic and Civilized Citizenship,” she stressed the importance of building empathy and social awareness from an early age amid challenges of social polarization and digital disruption.
In addition, Prof. Dr. Kastam Syamsi, M.Ed., Professor in the field of Language Learning Development at the Faculty of Languages, Arts, and Culture, highlighted the importance of contextual and relevant writing instruction. In his speech entitled “Product Approach, Genre Approach, and Process Approach: Seeking Alternative Models for Writing Instruction,” he emphasized that writing skills represent a process of thinking and communication that must continue to be strengthened within the education system.
The inauguration of these four professors reaffirmed UNY’s commitment to building an academic ecosystem that is not only excellent in scholarship but also responsive to societal needs, technological developments, and character building.
This inauguration also aligns with the commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) through strengthening educational quality and learning innovation, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) through the development of adaptive human resources, and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) through the reinforcement of ethical education, empathy, and humanitarian values within the education system.
