The Quality That Must Be Maintained

Last week in this column, I wrote about the gates of state universities opening for new students, and the persistent question facing private universities amidst the competition for enrolment: what value is truly being offered to society? This week, some good news arrived as one answer to that question. Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta has added another accreditation achievement. Two study programmes, the Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and the Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, have received the ‘Unggul’ (Excellent) Accreditation title from the Independent Accreditation Institute for Informatics and Computing (LAM INFOKOM).

Unggul Accreditation is not merely an administrative label attached to a study programme’s name. It is the result of an evaluation process covering various aspects of educational provision, from curriculum and lecturer quality to learning facilities, research, graduate quality, and programme governance. For prospective students and parents seeking a place to continue their education, this title serves as an objective indicator of a study programme’s quality, as it is assessed through an accreditation mechanism by an authorised body in the field, rather than based solely on the institution’s own claims.

In the same week, I received another equally important assignment: monitoring and evaluating fifty-three Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta lecturers currently pursuing doctoral studies at various universities at home and abroad. This monitoring and evaluation is part of the institution’s effort to ensure that this significant investment in human resource development proceeds according to target, in terms of study progress, research and publications, and plans for completing their doctoral education. These 53 lecturers, currently striving to finish their doctoral studies, truly represent a long-term investment in the quality of education that future Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta students will receive.

These two events—the Unggul Accreditation and the monitoring of doctoral studies—appear at first glance to be two different agendas. However, on closer inspection, both speak to the same thing: quality is never finished being built and must be continuously maintained. The Unggul Accreditation achieved is the result of years of hard work, but it is not the finish line. It is recognition of an achievement, as well as a reminder that the standards reached must be maintained and even improved. The Unggul title will mean little if, after the certificate is received, the drive for self-improvement simply stops.

Similarly, with the fifty-three lecturers pursuing doctoral studies, the results of this investment may not be fully visible today. They must still divide their time between teaching, conducting research, completing dissertations, fulfilling family obligations, and various other responsibilities. However, in the years to come, when they return with deeper expertise, wider academic networks, and more mature scholarly perspectives, the benefits will be felt by students, the study programmes, and the institution as a whole.

This reflection feels highly relevant to what I wrote last week. Amidst the structural challenges faced by private universities, one thing always within an institution’s control is the earnestness to continuously improve and maintain quality. Unggul Accreditation can certainly be a consideration for prospective students when choosing a university. However, this title should not stop at being a marketing tool. More than that, Unggul Accreditation is a reflection that an institution is continuously striving to build a solid educational foundation.

The quality of higher education is largely determined by the individuals standing in front of the class, guiding research, opening horizons of thought, and serving as role models for students. Therefore, the 53 lecturers pursuing doctoral studies are not merely fifty-three people chasing a doctorate. They are 53 investments to strengthen the quality of education at Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta in the future. Every doctoral degree earned is not just a personal achievement; within it lies a strengthening of institutional capacity. When a lecturer returns to campus with deeper expertise, broader research experience, stronger academic networks, and a better ability to keep pace with scientific developments, the students they teach are ultimately the ones who receive the greatest benefit.

Today is also a special day for our family. Najwa Rashika, our eldest daughter, turns 22. This year, her birthday feels slightly different as she is beginning a new chapter in her academic journey as a Master’s student in Aerospace Engineering at the Bandung Institute of Technology. As a parent, this moment reminds me once again that education is indeed a long-term investment. The results are not always immediately visible, but the process undertaken today can determine a person’s journey years into the future. Perhaps this is the common thread of the various events I experienced this week. Two study programmes received recognition for the quality they have built. Fifty-three lecturers are being prepared to strengthen future quality. And a child who turns 22 today is continuing her educational journey to a higher level. Three events on different scales, but all serve as a reminder that education is a process in constant motion.