Universitas Negeri Padang is state university in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, which was established on 1 September 1954. Currently, the rector is Prof. Ganefri, Ph.D. Previously, the rector was Prof. Dr. Phil. H. Yanuar Kiram. Based on SK BANPT 2989/SK/BAN-PT/Akred/PT/XII/2016, State University of Padang obtained “A” grade accreditation.
About Padang
Padang is a capital city of Province of West Sumatera and it is a part of Republic of Indonesia, and the status of this region is a capital city of province. Padang is located in the Sumatera Island; it is located in the western Sumatera. It is near with North Sumatera, Riau, Jambi and Bengkulu. Just like the other regions in Indonesia, the history of Padang along with Sumatra also can’t be separated by the Dutch colony, VOC. Padang in West Sumatra in the VOC era is named with Hoofdcomptoir van Sumatra’s westkus, and Sumatera became the main location of the VOC’s trade route in Dutch-Indie.
Padang City
After the fall of Pagaruyung Kingdom by the intervention of Dutch with their famous Devide et Impera, Dutch with their military, VOC, create the governance in West Sumatra, located in Minangkabau because it was near wit Padang. Because this location was important, Dutch colony built residence in West Sumatra, and it was expanded until Bengkulu, and it was taken over by England. So did with the Japan colony, during the aggression of Japanese military, Padang also became the important region along with Java and Borneo. Until the independence of Indonesia, Padang stood along with other part of Sumatera regions. And at that time, the capital city of Province of West Sumatra is Bukittinggi, and now, as the decision that made by the government and the governor of West Sumatra, in de facto, and then Padang is set tobe the capital city of Province of West Sumatra.
View of Padang
Like the other regions in Indonesia, there is a unique characteristic also in Padang, West Sumatra. As the Capital city, Padang has many ethnics, and from the traditional culture, Padang has many cultures, from dance, to the architecture. For the example of traditional culture in dancing, Padang has Pasembahan dance, Payung dance, and Indang dance. In Padang, there are two main ethnic who made the culture there is rich, they are Minangkabau ethnic and Mentawai ethnic. From the architecture design, Padang also has its own character. Minangkabau ethnic has Gadang house as the character of their ethnic’s house. It is commonly built by the big familly and it is given to the other generation hereditary. While the Mentawai ethnic’s architecture character is called Uma house. Basically it is the same with Gadang, but it is populated with five to ten families and it is built nail less. From the tourism destination, Padang is the most increasing visited by the tourist in the Sumatera. (Source: http://www.indonesiatravelguides.com/padang-the-biggest-city-at-sumatra-western-coast-where-rendang-the-most-delicious-food-in-the-world-is-coming-from.html)