SPEECH about EDUCATION

The honorable Mr. Samsul Maarif , the Chief of English Department

The honorable Mrs. Nunik Sugesti, our inspiring lecturer

and good morning for all freshmen of English Department YSU 2010

Firstly, Let me say welcome for the freshmen of English Department especially attending this occasion. I can guess what you feel from your face that today you are happy because you’ve become a university student, right? This college is your choice, but I don’t know if some of you are still disappointed with this choice. Some of you maybe consider this college is not the best one you choose. No matter for that, I only want to ask you now. Are you pride become a student of this college? Is there any freshmen here still ask like: what can I get from this university? If I were you I would reply that I am very lucky become a part of Yogyakarta State University moreover become a student of English Department. Why? Yes, of course. Because you have just enter to a university that has a status Road to World Class University or WCU. Actually, that is what I want to talk here, I’d like to introduce you what is world class university and what should we do to get its benefit while consider to support this program.

Dear freshmen,

To begin with, we all know that quality of education in Indonesia, especially higher education is still left behind compared with other countries. We need the right strategy to improve our quality of education. World Class University seems to be the main requirement for Indonesia if we want to compete with foreign universities. Nowadays, some countries have  made education as a reliable source of income. For example, our friends who study abroad would be asked to pay higher prices than usual. If we count, it reaches 10 times more expensive. Imagine, how much income from this field. It does not include the income that accompanies the field of education itself. Our government understand those, but it is difficult to get the financial sources to improve higher education because our government has focused to pay 9-year compulsory education. To overcome that, our government made a policy to change the college became a legal entity.. That’s why our college now establish BLU  or  Public Service Agency. It doesn’t mean that we are to face with education capitalization because the income from BLU will be used to improve our education in our college.

Dear freshmen,

Then, what can we do to support our college on road to WCU? In my opinion, there are at least six important roles we should play as a student. First, we need to minimalize demonstration as far as the problem can be solved by discussion. Second, It is important for us to take a part in larger society activities to enlarge our knowledge. Third, keep our self-image as a student of Yogyakarta State University wherever we go. Fourth, join many competitions, for example, joining debate contest, science Olympiad , promoting our dances and music, etc. Fifth, learn about research little by little from now because research is one of strategy to reach WCU beside it is also essential to give benefit to our society. The last we can do and maybe it’s familiar among us is that as a student whether student of English department or not, we need to practice our English more to help the progression of our college on road to WCU.

Dear freshmen,

Now let me reiterate, our quality of higher education is still left behind compared with other countries because of limited funds. If we let it happen continually, of course we’ll only become a stagnant country that can not develop its quality of education. To increase quality of education our college has encountered a new idea that is world class university, while to solve the problem of higher education funds we have established BLU or Public Service Agency. Both of them are still new for our college but we must be sure that one day we will be able to reach our dream to have the same level quality with foreign universities. Therefore, we must support this idea by those six roles I’ve encountered before because we are part of education components in this college. At last, there is a good quotation “one day, our children will feel that education developed today could give them better living”.

Thank you.