ITB’s Rector, Prof. Reini Wirahadikusumah, Ph.D., directly served as the Ceremonial Master. Not unlike a general flag ceremony, the procession began with the Ceremonial Master entering the ceremonial field and continued with a salutatory to the Ceremonial Master, as well as a report enunciation to the Ceremonial Commandeer.

Afterward, is the Red and White Flag raising session by the Flag-raising Platoon, which consisted of 17 convoys, 8 bearers, and 45 troop members, accompanied by the national anthem ‘Indonesia Raya’ (Great Indonesia). The subsequent sessions are the moment of silence, the reading of Pancasila, and the reading of the 1945 Constitution Opening.

In the 77th celebration of Indonesia’s independence, the Rector declared a welcome from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. This year, the Indonesian Republic’s Independence was held in the spirit of “Swifter Recovery, Stronger Revival”.

We are in the progress of realizing this spirit through the 2022 G20 presidential, with the major role of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology in embarking on global collaboration to create a joint effort in rejuvenating and reviving the education system.

“We have given example to the world of how the learning process in Indonesia, day by day, stands on the side of the students and liberate educators to unleash their creativity in teaching, through the Independent Curriculum and the Independent Teaching platform,” declared the Rector during her greetings.

We have shown evidence, that the effort to expand access to quality education can be realized through the breakthrough of the Operational School Support mechanism as well as many other scholarship support programs.

We have also convinced the world that Indonesian youths are trained to face the professional world and to live in communities, where they are prepared through higher education institutions, through various extra campus learning programs, all incorporated in Kampus Merdeka (Independent Campus).

Similarly, in the cultural sector, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology in the G20 forum encouraged countries globally to provide financial support for artists and cultural actors, so they will constantly inspire by their best works, especially post-pandemic. This initiative is the continuation of the perpetual cultural fund breakthrough and the first cultural channel in Indonesia that we have launched, which has provided many merits to our cultural mobilizers.

“The things I have stated are only a glimpse of this breakthrough called Merdeka Belajar, which now has reached its 21st episode. There are more episodes to come in Merdeka Belajar, which, until every child in Indonesia can experience liberation from education, that is learning with joy, creating with no limits, dashing towards the future full of courage as a Pancasila Learner,” expressed the Rector.

Reporter: -
Translator: Firzana Aisya (Bioengineering, 2021)