The Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada was established in 1950, and has undergone several phases of organizational restructuring since it was founded. Initially, the Graduate School was an educational institution for granting doctoral degrees. The program was eventually expanded into a full graduate program, which served as the foundation for the Graduate School. These changes occurred in response to the transformations in education systems throughout the world, as well as to reflect the existing education regulations within Indonesia. In 2019, UGM was ranked 35th out of 200 Top Asian Universities by 4ICU Asian University Ranking and was in the first rank of 10 best universities in Indonesia, and the Graduate School is one of the pillars of that achievement.

In 2006, the Graduate School initiated a new phase in the management of the graduate programs offered by our institution, based on the Rector Decree number 89/P/SK/HT/2006.  This policy resulted in the separation of mono and multidisciplinary programs. The Graduate School is responsible for managing multidisciplinary programs, while the mono-disciplinary programs remain the responsibility of individual faculties. We expect that the multidisciplinary programs in the Graduate School will be able to address our nation’s complex problems by utilizing integrative approaches and multidisciplinary analyses. The synergy between the Study Centers and the Graduate School aims to maximize the utilization of resources available at the university.

The Graduate School provides a platform for integrative lectures and research by academics and researchers from various disciplines, creating a space for them to contribute to the development of scientific thought aimed at solving the problems of our nation in the global era. The Graduate School plays a strategic role in developing master’s and doctoral programs, as well as implementing the “Three Commitments of the Higher Education Institution” (Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi) through a multidisciplinary approach. The programs within the Graduate School are designed to serve as the main basis for multidisciplinary program development at UGM.

The Graduate School’s pool of resources has been continuously developed through collaboration with foreign and domestic institutions of higher education. This has become an important aspect of developing comparative and competitive educational programs and research. Our lecturers and students have published research in various disciplines, such as science, technology, health, agricultural science, humanities, and cultural studies, in both national and international peer-reviewed journals.

The Graduate School has a strong commitment to fostering an academic community where students and lecturers of Gadjah Mada University, and other universities, especially educational institutions from overseas, can engage in educational exchange. Efforts by the school’s previous directors to encourage exchange and collaboration amongst scholars and students in the international academic community will continue to be implemented and developed in the years to come.

We invite both domestic and foreign institutions to join in collaborating with the Graduate School, to work hand in hand with us in the development of cutting-edge multidisciplinary programs. We wish to thank our colleagues for their trust and cooperation, and express our hopes for bright futures.