An inspiring story emerged from Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Postgraduate Graduation Ceremony for the 2024/2025 Academic Year Period III. A few of the thousands of graduates earned a perfect Grade Point Average (GPA). One of them is Oryza Novianingtyas (34), a student from the International Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program, Batch 80, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), who graduated with a GPA of 4.00 after completing her studies in 2 years, 5 months, and 8 days. This achievement earned her the title of Best Graduate for the April 2025 MBA Graduation Period.
“I feel incredibly proud and grateful. I honestly didn’t expect it, especially since there were a few subjects I wasn’t very confident about getting an A in. But Alhamdulillah, those worries were unfounded, and I managed to earn straight A’s and was named the best graduate,” Oryza shared recently.
Currently working at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, Oryza pursued her degree through a dual degree program at Melbourne Business School (MBS), University of Melbourne, supported by a scholarship from the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Ministry of Finance. She faced numerous challenges during her studies. Interestingly, her greatest challenge didn’t come from heavy academic assignments but rather during the preparations for her departure to study abroad. She had to race against time to complete all the administrative requirements and secure a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from the partner university. Fortunately, the support from the MM FEB UGM academic team and the Office of International Affairs (OIA) helped her navigate the process smoothly.
Oryza experienced many memorable moments throughout her studies, particularly the dynamic and vibrant classroom atmosphere. Being in an international class allowed her to interact with peers from various countries.
“Meeting people from diverse backgrounds, including international classmates from Germany and the Netherlands in the early semesters, made the classes exciting and broadened my perspectives,” said the woman from Klaten, Central Java.
She attributes her current achievements to the values instilled by FEB UGM. Integrity, in particular, is a value she holds firmly. For Oryza, integrity is a non-negotiable principle.
“Competence can still be developed, but there’s no bargaining when it comes to integrity. That’s what pushes me always to align my words with my actions,” she affirmed.
Although she was not actively involved in campus organizations due to frequent travel between Klaten and Yogyakarta, Oryza’s accomplishments remained outstanding. She was named “Most Favorite Pre-MBA 80 Student” during matriculation at the MBA Awards Virtufest 4.0. While studying at Melbourne Business School, she also achieved international recognition by receiving the Eric J. Ingram Prize in People and Change for the highest score in the “People and Change” course in 2023, and she was listed on the Dean’s Honour List in 2024 as part of the top 3% of students.
Oryza shared the key to completing her studies smoothly, quickly, and with excellent results. According to her, the answer is simple.
“Just go through it all, but don’t get complacent. Always give your best in everything. Regret is unpleasant, so it’s better to be prepared. InsyaAllah, effort never betrays results,” she concluded.
Report by: Orie Priscylla Mapeda Lumalan
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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