UPH Student Unions and Their Supports 2024/2025
Recognized Student Associations Units
As a university that believes in student representation and involvement, UPH recognises the need for independent students’ unions to build an inclusive and student-centred environment on campus grounds. There are two types of student unions in UPH: faculty-based and independent, which both represent different aspects of associations and activities. Faculty-based student unions include student associations within the same faculty, also known as ‘Himpunan Mahasiswa’ (or HM). Whereas, independent student unions have more diverse faculty origins, as they unite for non-academic activities (also known as Unit Kegiatan Mahasiswa – UKM and Unit Layanan Mahasiswa – ULM), such as but not limited to cultural clubs, theatre clubs, arts and music clubs, and even student bodies and community service clubs.
Democratic and Governance of Student Associations
The leaderships of governing bodies and members of student associations are elected through democratic processes. This is mostly seen in HM associations and specific non-academic unions like the Student Executive Board (Badan Eksekutif Mahasiswa – BEM) and the Student Representative Council (Majelis Perwakilan Mahasiswa – MPM). All these unions are recognised by the university as independent student bodies that represent the collective voice of the student community. For context, BEM serves as the executive arm responsible for implementing student-led programmes, initiatives, and social activities, while the MPM functions as the legislative body that ensures accountability, transparency, and oversight.
The election of their governing bodies is conducted annually under a student-run general elections commission (Komisi Pemilihan Umum – KPU UPH). The nomination and election process is carried out openly with a fit and proper test, oration, and election process.
The spirit of student democracy and leadership development is further strengthened through initiatives such as the Student Leaders Appreciation & Inauguration event organised annually by the Student Development and Alumni Engagement Department. In the 2024 ceremony, over 900 student leaders from 60 organisations were inaugurated, reflecting UPH’s commitment to nurturing capable, ethical, and service-orientated leaders.
Through these structures and programmes, UPH demonstrates clear recognition and support of independent student representation, ensuring that students have the freedom and institutional backing to voice their aspirations, engage in decision-making, and lead initiatives that contribute to the university’s continuous growth and impact.
Support for Students
The student unions in UPH do not only run events that foster shared interests and hobbies between peers but also conduct events that provide mental and physical support for students, such as but not limited to:
- International Adolescent Health Week 2024, held by HM Psychology, which provided platforms for students to assess their career pathways and receive first aid training, followed by a workshop on building adolescent resilience amid struggles of mental health issues.
- BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) held by Spiritual Growth UPH, a student union that focuses on student spiritual growth and nurturing. The BASIC program is a program that builds group connections between a spiritual mentor and its members so that members can be able to share in a safe space regarding their spiritual, academic, and even mental struggles.
- Mentor-Mentee programmes held by Mentoring UPH, a student union that focuses on mentorship between younger and older cohorts of the department, to be able to equip and support younger cohorts that may be adjusting to the new environment of the university.
Student Social Activities
Student unions also conduct various social activities to engage with the local community, such as, but not limited to:
- MANIS – “Mari Nyatakan Kasih” Programme, held by BEM-UPH, which is a kindness-promoting programme that enhances tolerance between religions by sharing ‘takjil’ and foods during the Ramadan season with surrounding communities, especially those with labour-focused jobs, like online-taxi drivers, scavengers, and homeless people.
- Heart to Serve 2025, held by Service Learning Community (SLC) UPH, which allows students to serve in a village community for 3 days, engaging and bonding with the community while teaching them literacy and entrepreneurship skills.
- SUPPORT 2025, held by BEM-UPH, which is a waste-gathering volunteering programme to assist waste management for the local community in Bencongan Indah, Tangerang.
