Among the 9,074 graduates of Universitas Indonesia (UI) who graduated at the Graduation Ceremony for the Even Semester Academic Year 2023/2024, 51 graduates received summa cum laude predicate with a perfect Cumulative Achievement Index (IPK), 4. One of them is Damar Prasetya Ajie Putra who is a graduate of Early Childhood Psychology, Psychology Masters Program, Faculty of Psychology (FPsi).
“In university, we were not only introduced to basic sciences such as understanding the working patterns of the human brain and how to conduct research properly, but also understood more deeply about the fields of science that are applicable in society, such as how to optimize child growth and development, create a child education curriculum, and conduct interventions for parents. Only a few universities have an Applied Psychology Study Program, so I am very lucky to be able to undergo two years of rewarding and happy education,” said Damar.
He further said that for four years he has worked as a Pediatrician. Studying at UI, namely in the applied psychology study program for early childhood, deepened his understanding of psychology and child development. He also said that during his studies, the lecturers had the right portion in providing teaching through lectures, group supervision, and providing good triggers so that students were also able to learn independently.
“In the applied psychology study program, we are required to create psychology-based interventions that must be applicable in the community. For me, I found that many PAUD teachers do not yet have good knowledge in providing first aid in emergency situations and there is no specific training for PAUD teachers,” said Damar.
Based on this, Damar conducted a study that was written in his thesis entitled “Efektivitas FAST Training Terhadap Pengetahuan dan Efikasi Diri Guru Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini (PAUD) dalam Melakukan Pertolongan Pertama” (The Effectiveness of FAST Training on the Knowledge and Self-Efficacy of Early Childhood Education (PAUD) Teachers in Performing First Aid). The study found that many teachers who had received training were still not confident in doing it. Therefore, Damar and his team designed a training intervention in the field of child first aid for PAUD teachers in Indonesia that not only targeted knowledge and skills, but also teacher self-efficacy/confidence in performing first aid.
As a graduate, Damar hopes that he can play a role as a practitioner of Applied Child Psychology who applies psychological theories to solve problems in the workplace and the surrounding environment. “With this knowledge, my team and I hope to provide science-based education about child development that can be utilized by parents, teachers, and the community,” said Damar.
In addition to Damar, another graduate who also received a perfect GPA is Rida Indah Fariani, a graduate of the Computer Science Doctoral Program, Faculty of Computer Science (Fasilkom). “After completing my doctoral studies, I hope to contribute more significantly to the development of science, especially in the field of e-learning. I also hope that the networking that I have gained during my doctoral studies can be maintained and can collaborate in future research,” said Rida.
In her dissertation, Rida conducted research that focused on developing a personalized e-learning system for vocational education. The approach used is knowledge-based which is represented by ontology and implemented with a knowledge graph. She said that this system is designed to adjust learning based on the level of initial knowledge and learning style of students, by providing personalized learning objects, instructions, and feedback to students.
“During my studies, I was able to utilize the DL2 Lab laboratorium to conduct research– together with fellow PhD students with the same interests and expertise. This was very important to keep my research on track. The role of promoters and co-promoters is also very important. Thank you to my promoter, Prof. Kasiyah, and co-promoter, Prof. Harry Budi Santoso, who always motivated, gave direction, and supported my research from the early stages until graduation,” said Rida.
Among the invited guests of the graduation ceremony held at the Balairung, UI Depok Campus, on Sunday, August 25, was the Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) of the Republic of Indonesia, Police General Tan Sri Prof. Dr. Budi Gunawan, S.H., M.Si., Ph.D., P.S.M.; Ambassador Extraordinary, Plenipotentiary, Ambassador of Fiji to Indonesia, H.E. Amenatave V. Yauvoli.; Minister of Health for the 2014-2019 Period, Prof. Dr.dr. Nila Djuwita Farid Anfasa Moeloek, Sp.M(K).; and Governor of Bali for the 2018-2023 Period Dr. Ir. I Wayan Koster, M.M.
“I am present at today’s graduation ceremony because one of the thousands of graduates is a student from Fiji, namely Aisea Rainima, B.A, PgDip.Psych, M.Si., who is a graduate of the Master of Psychology (Science), FPsi UI. Aisea works in one of the prisons in Fiji. This is a very good opportunity to gain experience and learn in Indonesia. I am here to provide support to Aisea and other graduates who are graduating today. I hope that in the future there will be many children from Fiji who can go to school and study at UI,” said Yauvoli.
