Festive Celebration of Indonesia’s 80th Anniversary at IPB University: From Angklung Parade, Bridal Procession, to Traditional Competitions

IPB University held a ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia at the Rectorate Field, IPB Dramaga Campus, Bogor, on Sunday (8/17).

The ceremony was attended by all members of the IPB University community, including the university’s leadership (Council of Trustees, Academic Senate, Board of Professors, and Vice Rectors), heads of departments, lecturers, staff, students, and Agrianita.

The Rector of IPB University, Prof Arif Satria, said that the momentum of independence day should be a reminder of two important things.

“First, we must be grateful because as an independent nation, we have been given the opportunity to build this country. This opportunity must be used with enthusiasm to continue improving our lives so that we can achieve a just and prosperous society,” he said.

Furthermore, Prof Arif explained that the objectives of the state as stated in the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution must always be internalized. These objectives are to protect all Indonesian people, improve the general welfare, educate the nation, and participate in maintaining world order.

“For IPB University, the closest goal is to educate the nation. We must have the spirit to be learners, while encouraging the Indonesian people to continue learning throughout their lives,” he added.

The series of ceremonies was enlivened by the Gebyar Merah Putih performance from Agrianita IPB. This activity featured an angklung parade, a wedding procession and terbangan, as well as a cultural performance from South Sumatra. In addition, various traditional competitions were held to enliven the atmosphere of togetherness among the IPB University community. 

During this year’s 80th anniversary of Indonesian Independence, IPB University also conducted an Independence Day Celebration Survey. The survey, which involved 237 respondents, revealed that exciting competitions were the most anticipated moment in the August 17th event series (45,1%), followed by the flag-raising ceremony (32,1%) and cultural exhibitions (22,8%).

Interestingly, despite the celebration coinciding with a public holiday, patriotism was cited as the primary motivation for respondents’ attendance (70,5%). This factor was significantly higher than other reasons, such as wanting to see the flag-raising ceremony (14,3%), curiosity about the competitions (12,2%), or simply wanting to post on social media (3%).

This data indicates that while entertainment and culture remain attractive, the primary motivation for the public in commemorating Independence Day remains rooted in nationalistic spirit and love for Indonesia. (dr) (IAS/LAN)