The commencement day at ITHB Bandung, “a new class of graduates takes off.”

On 6^th September 2014, more than 200 students of Institut Teknologi Harapan Bangsa received their degrees during the 9th Harapan Bangsa graduation ceremony held at Haris Hotel, Bandung. The special occasion was attended by distinguished guests, families, lecturers, staff and more than 430 new students who joined the university this year.

There were 208 graduates who have accomplished the sarjana program and 12 graduates who have completed the International Program advanced diploma program. Among them, 47 were honored with cum laude predicate.  They were all congratulated by Dr. Bersih Tarigan MBA, Chairman of Petra Foundation, Dr. Ir. Samuel Tarigan, MBA the Rector of the Institute and all of the program heads.

During his speech, Dr. Samuel Tarigan encouraged the graduates to be optimistic about their career because Indonesia is entering a phase of significant economic growth driven by the recent successful election. Having said that, he also reminded them to remain committed to their calling: to make a difference in the country by keeping their passion to learn and prioritizing character above achievements.

The ITHB graduation ceremony was also attended by some distinguished guests, among others: Prof. Dr. Ir. Abdul Hakim Halim M.Sc (the Coordinator of Private Universities Region IV) and Vice Admiral Dr. Albert Mamahit M.Sc (Rector of Universitas Pertahanan Indonesia and Kepala Badan Pelaksana Harian Badan Koordinasi Keamanan Laut). During his speech Prof. Abdul Hakim reminded the assembly that all Indonesians need to work harder in transforming our work ethics, character, and habits to avoid being left behind and taken advantage of by many other countries in the increasingly knowledge-oriented and capital-oriented world. Later, Dr Mamahit also delivered a similar message in his academic oration by emphasizing the role of character education in promoting nationalism and independence in the maritime sector.

In his speech, the Rector of ITHB, Dr. Ir. Samuel Tarigan MBA, addressed the assembly by expressing his joy for the achievements of the graduates. He was very grateful for the effective collaboration among students and lecturers that so far has produced graduates with distinctive qualities. A growing number of companies have realized that ITHB graduates are characterized not only by good academic qualifications (GPAs, industry standard professional certifications like SAP or Oracle, TOEFL score), but also by good character and commitment to calling as demonstrated by the graduates’ integrity, willingness to learn, and positive attitude. That is the reason, he said, why 49% of the current batch of graduates have already secured great positions in the nation’s best companies before their graduation day.

He then went further by praising the achievement of four ITHB graduates from current batch, who were recruited by Accenture, a global US based IT consulting company to work in a project in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Accenture Malaysia alone – not to mention other companies – has conducted on-campus hiring for at least eight consecutive occasions. In total, 57 ITHB graduates have been recruited by Accenture in the last three years.

At the end of his speech, Dr. Samuel Tarigan, congratulated the graduates and their families and expressed his appreciation for their hard work that has handsomely paid off.  He finally reminded the graduates that graduation day is not the end of the journey, but it is a new beginning of a new struggle to reach a dream and transform the nation.