UPI Graduates 999 Students, Urges Integrity Amid Economic Pressure

Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) held a graduation ceremony for Wave III of 2026, conferring degrees upon 999 students at its Bandung campus on Tuesday (21/7). The graduates comprised 885 bachelor’s degree recipients, 33 master’s degree recipients, 25 doctoral degree recipients, 2 diploma IV recipients, and 54 professional programme recipients.

In his address, Rector Didi Sukyadi did not focus on academic achievement but instead highlighted a crisis of character. He urged graduates to uphold integrity as they enter a society facing moral challenges and an economy that has yet to fully recover. ‘I want to emphasise that an academic degree is merely an entry ticket. What determines a graduate’s success is integrity, trustworthiness, and the ability to solve problems,’ he stated.

Didi noted that the professional world demands more than just a high grade point average. Graduates must be capable of building trust and acting as problem solvers. ‘They must be trusted by their peers, superiors, their environment, and the wider community. Equally important, they must possess a very high level of capability,’ he added.

Acknowledging the ongoing pressures on the national economy, Didi remarked that such conditions are not unique to Indonesia and should not be used as an excuse for pessimism. He expressed hope that UPI alumni would become part of the solution rather than the problem. ‘Instead of blaming others, we hope they can find solutions to the issues at hand. We should not blame society or the government. Whatever challenges we see ahead, we must be the ones who can solve the problems among us,’ he said. The rector concluded that this message signified UPI’s commitment to sending graduates into the world equipped not just with diplomas, but with public trust, a commodity he described as increasingly rare in a competitive and uncertain era.