The Faculty of Economics and Business, Yogyakarta State University (FEB UNY), marked a new milestone by conducting its first-ever closed doctoral dissertation defense on Friday, 17 October 2025, at 09.00 a.m. The defense took place in the Examination Room, 2nd Floor, Graduate and Doctoral Program Building (PMD) of FEB UNY.

The doctoral candidate, Sholeh Hafidz, presented his dissertation titled “A Growth Mindset-Oriented Financial Management Training Model for Legal Entity State Universities (PTNBH) at Yogyakarta State University.”

The examination committee was chaired by Dr. Ani Widayati, S.Pd., M.Pd., Ed.D., with Prof. Dr. Endang Mulyani, M.Si. serving as the secretary. The supervisory team consisted of Prof. Dr. Lantip Diat Prasojo, S.T., M.Pd. (Promoter/Examiner) and Dr. Sutirman, S.Pd., M.Pd. (Co-Promoter/Examiner). The panel was also supported by two external examiners: Prof. Dr. E. Muhtar, S.Pd., M.Si., CfrA. (Examiner I) and Prof. Dr. Tony Wijaya, M.M. (Examiner II).

In his doctoral research, Sholeh Hafidz developed the PROGREFI Training Management Model, designed to enhance financial management in Legal Entity State Universities (PTNBH) through a growth mindset approach. The model is not only conceptual but has also been empirically tested for its feasibility, effectiveness, and practicality within the UNY environment.

Employing Borg & Gall’s Research and Development (R&D) method, the study followed ten stages—from data collection and design to field testing. Expert validation confirmed that the PROGREFI model was highly feasible, with an Aiken’s V coefficient of ≥ 0.83. The model’s effectiveness increased significantly from 60% in the preliminary stage to 86% after field implementation, while participants’ growth mindset scores improved from 3.6 to 4.5. Furthermore, the model demonstrated strong practicality with a practicality level of 85% and instrument reliability of 0.72.

Dean of FEB UNY, Dr. Sutirman, M.Pd., expressed his appreciation for this historic academic event. “The first doctoral dissertation defense at FEB UNY marks an important moment in our faculty’s journey. It reflects our strong commitment to advancing academic quality and strengthening research capacity in the fields of economics and business, particularly within the context of higher education governance,” he stated.

This inaugural dissertation defense represents a significant step in establishing a strong doctoral research culture within FEB UNY. The faculty hopes that this momentum will inspire further innovations in economics, business, and higher education management that are relevant to the challenges of the modern era.

In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this initiative contributes particularly to Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by promoting capacity building, innovation, and professional development in higher education financial governance — ultimately supporting sustainable institutional growth and academic excellence. (ist)