UNAIR NEWS – Dr. Agung Sosiawan, drg., M.Kes (Dr. Agung) is named one of the 16 deans appointed by UNAIR Rector on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. The inauguration marked the change in leadership of Faculty of Dental Medicine (FKG) UNAIR which was previously held by Prof. Dr. R. Darmawan Setijanto, drg., M.Kes.

Elected as Dean of Faculty of Dental Medicine UNAIR during a pandemic, one of Agung’s priorities is the implementation of learning system that adapts to conditions. In the past before the pandemic, the learning system was almost 90 percent carried out offline and 10 percent done online, now the system is reversed to 10 percent offline and 90 percent online.

Meanwhile, the implementation of lab works which are not possible to be done online or done offline at RSGM will be carried out offline using existing facilities at the faculty.

“When the vaccine has been injected into all students, the learning process will be carried out again offline while still referring to the curriculum design that we will make as I become dean of 2020-2025,” he explained.

Agung will also support the priority targets that have been set by Rector to create a Smart University. Agung also targets Faculty of Dental Medicine UNAIR – which is the oldest FKG in Indonesia – to be the best FKG in Indonesia by the end of 2025.

“I hope for the supporst of all faculty and university stakeholders to carry out the mandate of rector, make FKG a Smart Faculty and become the leading FKG in Indonesia and at international level,” explained Agung.

Real measures are going to be made by Agung to achieve these targets, such as develop a model webinar on adjunct professor or smart education conducted online during pandemic conditions. Then, develop an accelerated program in 2021 which will be carried out in coordination with department heads and heads of programs.

Community service and research programs will still receive funding support. Apart from laboratory research, field research will also be carried out but with modifications on data collection, by utilizing information technology. The support is an effort to improve research publications.

“We will continue to fund programs related to research, especially those that can be done in the laboratory, which is our flagship research,” he said.

Apart from publications, Agung also made efforts to improve citations. In order to make this happen, Agung plans to revitalize faculty group research which in the previous period did not run as expected.

In 2020-2025 period, the group’s research is expected to be empowered and efficient. So in addition to increasing publications, it can also increase citations.

Agung hopes that the parties embraced by faculty through the academic reputation peer list (AR) or employer reputation peer list (ER) can continue to be maximized. Agung plans to add AR and ER in terms of both quantity and quality, especially by collaborating with parties from parts of European and Australian hemispheres.

“I hope to carry out the mandate from Rector to make FKG UNAIR number one in Indonesia and increase FKG ranking in ranking category based on international faculty levels,” he concluded. (*)

Author: Galuh Mega Kurnia

Editor :  Binti Q. Masruroh