Getting to Know Puji Lestari, the First Professor of FISIP UPNVY

Being a professor is a prestigious title in the educational environment and a goal for many university educators. This is also true for Prof. Dr. Puji Lestari, S.IP., M.Si., a lecturer in the Department of Communication Science at the Universitas Pembangunan Nasional "Veteran" Yogyakarta (UPNVY).

Puji Lestari is a senior educator at one of the national defense universities in Indonesia. She was born in Klaten on June 25, 1970. She is the first professor of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UPNVY in the field of Communication Science.

Puji's career began when she graduated from Gajah Mada University. Shortly after earning her bachelor's degree, she applied to become a lecturer at UPNVY. She officially became a lecturer in 1995. She revealed that at that time, the Department of Communication Science at UPNVY was preparing its first-year students.

Her journey to obtain the professorial title was certainly not easy. One year after becoming a lecturer, she continued her studies at the master's level. Born in Klaten, she pursued her studies at Padjadjaran University. After completing her master's degree, she returned to serve as a lecturer for one year. Soon after, she returned to the academic world to pursue her Ph.D.

However, her doctoral studies were not without challenges. While pursuing her Ph.D., Puji faced several obstacles. "During my Ph.D., I had many off-years, about five years, because I had constraints such as miscarriage, building a house, and so on. So, my effective study time was actually three years," she explained. At the age of 36, she successfully obtained her doctoral degree.

For a lecturer, achieving the professorial title is not easy. There are several functional levels that must be achieved before reaching the highest position. Puji revealed that when she first became a lecturer, she served as an Assistant Lecturer. After completing her Ph.D., she obtained the position of Senior Lecturer in 2009.

From there, she began the process of obtaining the professorial title. She mentioned that obtaining this title in Indonesia is not easy. To obtain the functional position of professor, a lecturer must accumulate a cumulative credit value of 850 points. This value is obtained through educational activities, conducting research, community service, and supporting activities consisting of activities that support the main duties of lecturers.

However, she was facilitated by receiving research grants from the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology (Ditjen Dikti). "With these research grants, I automatically obtained the required points, so I just had to apply for the professorship," she continued.

To achieve the professorial title, Puji faced many challenges. She admitted that one of the challenges in obtaining this title was proving that her work was her own. Therefore, Puji had to gather authentic evidence to be presented to the assessment team.

"Many aspiring professors are accused of using ghostwriters. There was big news about professors using ghostwriters and so on, even writing for predatory journals, and so on. While I am genuinely independent. However, the selection process at the Directorate General of Higher Education is very strict because many problems arise," she concluded.

Puji added that the online assessment system posed a significant challenge. This was due to the numerous obstacles encountered during the online assessment process. However, she was grateful because in the end, she was able to provide the various requirements requested by the Directorate General of Higher Education.

In addition to teaching, Puji is involved in various other activities. She explained that she currently serves as an assessor for the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education (BAN-PT). In this position, she is entrusted with assessing the accreditation of communication study programs at universities throughout Indonesia. In addition, she is also appointed as a journal assessor, competency assessor, and also as an assessor for the Lecturer Performance Report/Workload (LDK/BKD). She is also actively involved as the chairman of the Indonesian Communication Science Journal Publishers Association and is a member of the Indonesian Communication Higher Education Association (ASPIKOM).

Despite her busy schedule, Puji still has plans for the future. She revealed that her next plan is to fulfill the Tri Dharma of Higher Education. Not only that, she also wants to share more knowledge by developing a new theory called the Heart Communication Theory.

Puji said, "What does being a professor contribute? I provide a contribution in the form of the Heart Communication Theory, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking, which will later have an impact on positive behaviors, positive attitudes, and will ultimately contribute to social harmony." This is what she wants to convey to the community.

With the attainment of the professorial title, she was officially inaugurated and recognized for her professorial title. The Inauguration of the Professor event was held on Thursday (2/3/2023) at the UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta Auditorium.

Coinciding with the event, Puji released two books. According to her Instagram account @pujilestariupn, these two books contain her Heart Communication Theory and her life struggles.

Puji's biggest motivation to become a lecturer came when she was still in elementary school. "Since elementary school, I was asked what I wanted to be, and I always answered that I wanted to be a teacher because being a teacher allows you to provide a lot of insights and knowledge," explained the 52-year-old woman. Furthermore, she explained that there is a sense of satisfaction for her when she is beneficial to others. This motivation has led her to this point, where she has successfully achieved the highest academic title.

Puji expressed her gratitude when she obtained the professorial title because not all lecturers can reach that level. With this achievement, she received many congratulations and appreciations from both the institution where she teaches and beyond UPNVY.

Regarding this achievement, some lecturers and students also expressed their opinions. According to the Vice Dean II of FISIP UPNVY, Siti Fatonah, M.Si., achieving the professorial title is a proud achievement. Moreover, Puji Lestari is the youngest professor at UPNVY. She continued that Puji's figure is extraordinary. Siti Fatonah expressed, "She is very hardworking, and in my opinion, she is very disciplined in her plans. When she plans something, she will try to adhere to it well." Siti Fatonah hopes that with this achievement, FISIP will be able to advance further, so that in the future, a Ph.D. program in Communication Science can be opened.