Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Rektor menyampaikan pidato singkat tentang harapan untuk para sarjana baru. - The rector delivers a short speech about hopes for the new graduates.

Rektor is used for universities or similar institutions, not for elementary/secondary schools.
For a school principal, Indonesian usually uses kepala sekolah, not rektor.
It is capitalized here because it refers to a specific position/title, like The Rector.

Why do we use menyampaikan here and not a simpler verb like mengatakan or berkata?

Menyampaikan means “to deliver / to convey” something like a message, speech, information, etc.

menyampaikan pidato = to deliver a speech
mengatakan / berkata = to say (words), to speak (usually shorter, more casual speech)

So:

Rektor menyampaikan pidato singkat...
→ Focus on formally delivering a speech.

If you used Rektor mengatakan pidato singkat, it would sound strange/incorrect, because mengatakan is used with the actual words spoken, not with pidato (speech) as a whole.

You could also say:

Rektor berpidato singkat... = The rector gave a short speech
(natural, but slightly changes structure/nuance)

Is menyampaikan pidato a fixed expression?

Yes, it’s a very natural and common collocation.

menyampaikan pidato = to deliver a speech
Similar patterns:
- menyampaikan sambutan = deliver an opening remark/welcome speech
- menyampaikan pesan = deliver/convey a message

So menyampaikan often goes with things that are communicated formally or semi‑formally.

Why is it pidato singkat and not singkat pidato? Does Indonesian always put adjectives after nouns?

In Indonesian, adjectives normally come after the noun:

pidato singkat = short speech
buku baru = new book
rumah besar = big house

Putting the adjective before the noun (singkat pidato) would be ungrammatical or sound like poetry at best.

So the default pattern is:

Noun + Adjective → pidato singkat

What nuance does singkat have here? Is it more like “short” or “brief”?

Singkat means short in duration / brief, often with a slight nuance of being concise or to the point.

In this sentence, pidato singkat can naturally be translated as “a short speech” or “a brief speech”.

It doesn’t mean “short in physical length” (like a short object); for that, Indonesian often uses pendek.
So:

pidato singkat = brief speech
orang pendek = short person

What does tentang mean, and could we replace it with something like mengenai?

Tentang means “about / regarding / on the topic of”.

pidato ... tentang harapan = a speech about hopes

You can usually replace tentang with:

mengenai (about, regarding)
perihal (more formal, about, concerning)

So:

pidato singkat mengenai harapan...
pidato singkat perihal harapan... (formal)

All are grammatical; tentang is very common and neutral.

What is harapan exactly, and how is it related to harap and berharap?

harap = root form: hope (verb stem / base)
berharap = to hope (verb)
harapan = hope / hopes / expectation(s) (noun)

In this sentence:

harapan is a noun: the content of what is hoped for.

Examples:

Saya berharap kamu sukses. = I hope you succeed.
Harapan kami adalah kamu sukses. = Our hope is that you succeed.

So tentang harapan = about hopes / about the hope.

Why is untuk used before para sarjana baru? Could we use kepada instead?

Untuk mainly expresses purpose / intended recipient:

harapan untuk para sarjana baru
= hopes for the new graduates (they are the target/beneficiaries of the hopes)

Kepada is more like to (directed toward someone), often used with:

saying something to someone: berkata kepada, menulis surat kepada
giving something to someone: memberi hadiah kepada

You could say harapan kepada para sarjana baru, and people will understand, but:

harapan untuk ... = more natural as “hopes for ...” (intended for them)
harapan kepada ... = sounds a bit more like “hopes placed on them / directed at them” (slightly different nuance)

In common usage, untuk fits better here.

What does para do in para sarjana baru? Is it necessary?

Para is a plural marker for people. It emphasizes that we are talking about a group of people:

sarjana baru = (a) new graduate / new graduates (context decides)
para sarjana baru = the new graduates (clearly plural)

You can omit para:

harapan untuk sarjana baru
→ grammatically OK, but context must tell you whether it’s singular or plural.

Using para:

Sounds more formal and respectful.
Makes the plurality explicit.
Fits well in ceremonial or academic contexts like speeches.

Who are sarjana baru here? Are they newly enrolled students or new graduates?

Sarjana usually refers to someone who has completed an undergraduate degree (a graduate, often with a bachelor’s degree).

So sarjana baru most naturally means:

new graduates (people who have just graduated and received their degree)

If you want to say newly enrolled university students, you’d more likely use:

mahasiswa baru = new students (freshmen / first-year students)

Given the context with a rektor and a pidato, para sarjana baru is best read as the new graduates.

There’s no past tense marker in Rektor menyampaikan pidato..., but the English translation is past. How do we know the time?

Indonesian verbs normally don’t change form for tense. Menyampaikan itself is tenseless; it only says “deliver(s) / is delivering / delivered”.

Time reference comes from context or optional time words like:

tadi, kemarin, sudah, telah (past)
akan, nanti (future)

In a typical narrative or report, Rektor menyampaikan pidato... is understood as past:

Earlier today, the rector delivered a short speech...

You could make it explicitly past by adding:

Rektor telah/sudah menyampaikan pidato singkat... = The rector has delivered a short speech...

Is this sentence formal, and in what context would it be used?

Yes, the sentence is formal / semi-formal.

Clues:

Rektor (institutional title)
menyampaikan pidato (formal collocation)
para sarjana baru (plural marker para
- academic term sarjana)

You would expect this kind of sentence:

In a news article about a graduation ceremony
In a university report or newsletter
As narration in a formal speech or document

It would sound too stiff for casual everyday talk among friends.