ITS Campus, ITS News – Elderliness is not an obstacle for someone to complete education to the highest level. That is proven by Haryanto who completed his doctoral studies (S3) at the Department of Industrial and System Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) at the age of 60 years and 11 months.

Thanks to his strong study determination, Har has been named the oldest graduate at the 122nd ITS Graduation. Har will graduate in the first online session, Saturday (17/10).

Haryanto, the oldest graduate (age 60 years 11 months) at the 122nd ITS Graduation from the Department of industrial and System Engineering.

Har revealed that his motivation in pursuing knowledge up to this stage starts from his hobby in learning. Since taking the undergraduate program (S1) at the Department of Physics ITS, the said bespectacled man had shown more enthusiasm in studying. He proved it from the many spare times he spent reading books. “I have always liked to explore the theories I got in college,” stated Her.

After completing his undergraduate studies in 1984, Har chose to become a lecturer to get the opportunity to study further. This first batch student of the Department of Physics ITS finally continued his studies by turning to the industrial sector. “For two years until 2005, I focused on studying operational management at the Department of Industrial and System Engineering ITS,” said a father who was born in 1959.

In his life, Har has the principle that learning must continue throughout life. Not only studying but also doing it with a sincere and cheerful heart. Even though he had to spend money to continue his studies, he considered this part of an investment for himself. “It is not easy to achieve the title, but I get a lot of benefits from it,” said the lecturer in Industrial Engineering at the Universitas Surabaya (Ubaya)

Haryanto, ITS oldest graduate at the 122nd Graduation

Har said that his college journey in 20 years made him aware of the student dynamics in every era. In the past, students had to struggle to find course material in the library and do assignments using typewriters. With easy access to course materials on the internet, students can also do the task via a computer. “I also feel the nuances of online lectures during a pandemic,” he added.

After earning his doctorate with a very satisfying predicate, Har felt that his burden became lighter. He thought that he had obtained a lot of new knowledge and conveyed it to a broad audience. Therefore, apart from passing the lecture hall, he was determined to pass on his knowledge through writing. “I must express this thought that sticks to the brain to benefit many people,” he said excitedly.

This new doctor advised students to be enthusiastic in gaining knowledge. Now, lecture support facilities are much better than before. Students only need to set the time so that the duration of the study is maximum. “The key is to persevere and maintain a good mood,” he ordered.

To complete his doctoral program, Har raised a dissertation entitled Sistem Hubungan Industrial Berkelanjutan: Suatu Skenario Alternatif Redistribusi Nilai Tambah Industri pada Konteks Indonesia. (Sustainable Industrial Relations Systems: An Alternative Scenario of Industrial Value Added Redistribution in the Indonesian Context). There, he described the exploration of the understanding of industrial relations through three stages.

The first is the initial exploration of the relationship between workers, employers and the government. Next is the epistemological and methodological inquiry. “Finally, related to the benefits of a sustainable industrial relations system, it is related to the reality of income inequality,” he explained. (Dik/sel/ITS Public Relations)