Good Governance
Good governance has been recognized as vital if countries are to pursue and meet sustainable development goals. They will require strong leadership, transparent and evidence-based decision-making, democratic and open justice, and the willingness to transfer power out of central government to local centers.
The UGM Board of Trustees (Majelis Wali Amanat or MWA) is the highest governing body in the university.
As regulated in the Board of Trustees Regulation Number 4 Year 2014 Chapter 41, the members of MWA consist of the Minister, the Sultan of Yogyakarta, the Rector, representatives of the general public, and members of the university, including students, faculty, and staff.
UGM recognizes that proper student representation in the Board of Trustees is vital to ensure that students — as key stakeholders — have a voice in decisions that directly impact their academic life, welfare, and campus experience. Policies become more relevant, balanced, and responsive when shaped with input from those they affect. Student perspectives help align governance decisions with real student needs and challenges. By involving its students, UGM fosters openness, encouraging transparency in the university’s decision-making.
The procedure of selecting Board’s members is regulated by Rector Regulation Number 1 Year 2016 and the election is conducted prior to the election of a new Rector. Therefore, for the Rector’s election in 2022, the election of the Board’s members was conducted in 2021 and they will sit in the Board from 2021 to 2026.
UGM also has an academic senate which functions to establish policy, provide recommendations, and monitor academics (Board of Trustees Regulation Number 3 Year 2021). This senate consists of professors and lecturers from various faculties as well as officers with certain positions.
Student representatives in the Board of Trustees are elected for a one-year term and can be re-elected for another term. Like the other 19 members of the Board, the student representative is tasked with formulating the university’s general policies.
The student representative in the Board of Trustees for the 2024/2025 period has already been elected.
Sources:
- Majelis Wali Amanat or MWA
- Board of Trustees Regulation Number 4 Year 2014
- Faculty members of the Board
- Rector Regulation Number 1 Year 2016
- The election of the Board’s members
- Board of Trustees Regulation Number 3 Year 2021
- Current members of the Board
- Student representative in the Board of Trustees for the 2024/2025 period