One Hundred Graduation Ceremonies, 1,100 Journeys

On Saturday, 24 October 2026, Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta will hold its 100th graduation ceremony. A total of 1,100 graduates will take part in proceedings divided into two sessions. This graduation feels different to me for one reason: I have been invited to attend the first session, during which three students whom I supervised through to the completion of their doctoral studies will graduate.

Usually, as Director of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), I am not among those invited to attend the graduation ceremony. This invitation is therefore a special opportunity. In August 2026, I watched a graduation from a parent’s seat at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). This time, I will watch from a different seat: that of a supervisor, seeing three people who have travelled a long academic road finally reach the point called graduation.

That brings me back to the question: what are we really celebrating when a graduation ceremony takes place? Of course, we are celebrating the successful completion of an education. There are gowns, stoles, certificates, photographs, congratulations and the happy faces of family members who have come to offer their support. Yet graduation is, in truth, the culmination of a journey that is not always visible.

Behind each name called to the stage are semesters completed: assignments undertaken, exams faced, research revised time and again, supervisors offering guidance, friends supporting one another, and families who may never have stopped providing encouragement.

For doctoral studies, the journey is longer still: identifying a problem, constructing an argument, conducting research, facing criticism, revising a thesis, defending an idea and, finally, receiving academic recognition.

This year, Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta reaches its 100th graduation ceremony. The number 100 is not merely a sequence; it marks a university’s journey alongside generation after generation. A hundred graduation ceremonies mean that countless people have arrived on campus with their own hopes and then left carrying knowledge, experience and an identity as members of the university community.

Afterwards, graduates will take different paths. Some will work as professionals, start businesses, continue their studies or become researchers. Others will work in fields entirely different from their degree programmes. There is no single path everyone must follow. What matters is how the knowledge gained at university finds expression in life.

That is why the question after graduation is no longer the one asked as a student: “When will I graduate?” It becomes: “What will I become after graduating?” Perhaps more importantly: “What will I do with the knowledge I have gained?” These questions are increasingly relevant as the world changes so rapidly. Technology is advancing, artificial intelligence is changing how people work, new kinds of jobs are emerging, and some existing occupations are being reshaped.

This is where I see another meaning in a century of graduation ceremonies. A university’s success is not measured only by its buildings, the number of its degree programmes or its institutional achievements. What its graduates do after leaving campus can also serve as a reflection of the university. A university’s work is never truly over when its students leave.

This is where the Amikomisme movement takes on a broader meaning. The pride, loyalty and sense of belonging it seeks to nurture do not stop at the campus gates. Alumni are the face of Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta in places that banners and billboards cannot reach.

I remember the message from ITB’s rector to its graduates: “Go as far as you can, but do not forget to come home.” Coming home does not have to mean physically returning to campus. It can mean sharing experience with younger students, creating internship and partnership opportunities, offering feedback on the curriculum based on workplace needs, or upholding the university’s reputation through honest and committed work.

Perhaps that is why every graduation has two sides. On one hand, it marks the end of an educational journey. On the other, it is the beginning of a true journey of service. The Qur’an reminds us: “And that each person will only have what they have worked towards.” (QS. An-Najm: 39). This verse feels relevant on graduation day. Behind every degree earned lie effort and a process endured. Afterwards, there remains ample scope to turn that effort and knowledge into something beneficial.

For the graduates of Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta, the 100th graduation ceremony may become a date they remember for years to come. For the institution, it is a milestone. For families, it is the fruit of prayers and anticipation. For graduates, it is a doorway to the next journey.

One hundred graduation ceremonies. One thousand one hundred journeys. Each is different. Each carries its own story. Yet they all share one hope: that the knowledge gained will not stop at a degree, but will grow into meaningful work and benefit. Congratulations on Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta’s 100th graduation ceremony. Good luck on the journey ahead. And God knows best.