UGM dispatched as many as 209 students on community service programme for community empowerment learning on Wednesday (1/3). Among them there are 5 international students. Head of Student Community Service Sub-directorate of UGM, Dr. Djaka Marwasta, M.Sc., said the project would run from 1 March to 30 April 2017.
“There are 8 locations that will be assigned for programme locations, 3 of those are outside Java,” said Djaka.
Those locations are Keciput (East Belitung), Parangtritis (Bantul), Gempol (Klaten), Jeblok (Klaten), Gledeg (Klaten), Borobudur (Magelang), Pagaralam (South Sumatera) and Wakatobi (Southeast Sulawesi). The students will be supervised by 8 lecturers and one regional coordinator.
“For the project outside Java, the students have departed earlier before because the local governments have asked them to come earlier,” he said.
Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M.Sc., Ph.D., in her remarks said that the students during the programme could uphold social ethics and prioritise safety. “Creativity during the programme is much required, but please not to push a programme on the local people,” she said.
She advised the students to always carry the spirit of UGM in maintaining the state sovereignty and minimise the gap between the urban and rural areas. Gap in education, access to information and the economy is affected, among others by urbanisation.
“Hopefully, the Student Community Service will become better, especially to minimise the gap between urban and rural areas through the Smart and Resilient Village concept, accompanied by the spirit of socio-enterpreneurship,” said Dwikorita.