Raden Mas Panji Sosrokartono: First Indonesian To Win The S1 Title

Raden Mas Panji Sosrokartono (nu.or.id)

YOGYAKARTA - National Bachelor's Day is celebrated every September 29 as a form of appreciation to scholars in Indonesia. This commemoration was set by the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2014, to coincide with the birthday of Raden Mas Panji Sosrokartono. He was the first Indonesian to win a bachelor's degree.

The momentum of National Bachelor's Day is not just a symbolic celebration, but also a reminder of the importance of higher education. A bachelor's degree is an academic achievement that opens up intellectual opportunities as well as opportunities in the world of work. For the Indonesian nation, this is also a reflection to continue to improve the quality of higher education.

Raden Mas Panji Sosrokartono was born in Jepara in 1877 and is Raden Ajeng Kartini's older brother. As part of his priyayi family, he got the opportunity to study since childhood at the Europeesche Lagere School at Jepara, then continued to the Hogere Burger School in Semarang. His love for science makes him known as a diligent figure and thirsty to learn.

In 1897, there was a political program to return the Dutch East Indies government which provided an opportunity for indigenous children to continue their higher education in the Netherlands. Kartono became one of the people selected in the program. He left for Polytechnic School, the Netherlands, majoring in Civil Engineering.

However, Kartono felt that he was not suitable for the department. He then moved to Leiden University to learn the language and literature of the East. In 1901, he became the first Indonesian to graduate as a young scholar from the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy at Leiden University.

Sosrokartono's achievement is a milestone in the history of education for Indonesian natives. He paved the way for other young people to get higher education abroad. In addition to a bachelor's degree, he is also known to master up to 17 foreign languages, an extraordinary ability in his time.

It did not stop there, Sosrokartono continued his education and earned a doctorate with the title of Summa Cumlaude in 1908. With this achievement, he was listed as the first indigenous person to successfully hold a doctoral degree academic degree in the Dutch colonial era. This achievement further emphasized his role as a pioneer of Indonesian education.

Apart from focusing on education, Sosrokartono is also active in social and political activities in the Netherlands. In 1898, he delivered a speech entitled Het Nederlandsch in Indie which contained criticism of colonial policies. With a typical priyayi polite style, he was able to voice the nation's aspirations without causing direct confrontation.

The life story of Sosrokartono shows how important higher education is for the progress of the nation. Through National Bachelor's Day, the public is reminded that undergraduates are not only a symbol of academic degrees, but also intellectual assets that can bring change. Sosrokartono's success is an inspiration so that the younger generation of Indonesia continues to demand the highest possible knowledge.