EduAsiaNews, Bandung — Universitas Padjadjaran Bandung does not want its newly inaugurated deans to move in different directions. Over three days, from January 2–4, 2026, all deans of faculties and schools for the 2026–2030 term gathered for a leadership briefing at Mason Pine Hotel, Kota Baru Parahyangan. The forum marked an initial step to align faculty leadership with the university’s strategic direction.
Unpad Rector Prof. Arief Sjamsulaksan Kartasasmita opened the program by emphasizing the importance of the Strategic Plan (Rencana Strategis or Renstra) as a shared compass. For Arief, the Renstra is not merely an administrative document, but the foundation for decision-making over the next five years. He stressed that deans’ leadership must be grounded in Unpad’s core values: spirituality, integrity, openness, impact, synergy, equity, and progressiveness.
“These values are not mere rhetoric,” Arief said. According to him, deans serve as role models who shape the organizational culture within faculties and schools. Their attitudes, policies, and decisions will determine the academic climate and governance across Unpad.
In his presentation, Arief also outlined Unpad’s medium-term strategic agenda, including the strengthening of the Smart and Green Campus concept. He underlined that Unpad’s orientation goes beyond recognition or rankings, focusing instead on concrete implementation—from waste management to energy efficiency—that delivers tangible benefits to society.
In the realm of the tridharma of higher education, Arief encouraged closer integration between education, the world of work, and community service. Academic programs at the faculty level, he said, should not operate in isolation, but rather be interconnected and responsive to real needs. In this way, Unpad graduates will not only be competent, but also socially impactful.
Arief again reminded participants that all faculty development policies must remain aligned with the Renstra. Unity of direction and harmony, he noted, are key to realizing Unpad’s vision as an inclusive, excellent, and impactful university without losing its identity. “The Renstra is our shared compass. As long as we adhere to the same plan, all elements of Unpad will move in the same rhythm over the next five years,” he said.
In addition to Renstra-related sessions, the deans also received briefings on Unpad values from the university’s 10th Rector, Prof. Ganjar Kurnia; on the direction of higher education development in Indonesia from the 11th Rector, Prof. Tri Hanggono Achmad; and on the governance of state-owned legal-entity universities (PTNBH) from the 12th Rector, Prof. Rina Indiastuti. On the following day, the program continued with presentations from vice rectors and directors, concluding the series of leadership briefings for the new term.
