Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) achieved national recognition by winning second place in the 2025 Mandaya Award in the State University category. The award honors UGM’s contributions to developing innovative and sustainable community empowerment programs.
The trophy and certificate were presented by the Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment of the Republic of Indonesia, Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, to UGM Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni, Dr. Arie Sujito, at BPJamsostek Plaza in Jakarta on Thursday (Oct. 16).
The Mandaya Awards serve as a platform for recognizing institutions and individuals who have successfully implemented best practices to strengthen community capacity and independence.
“This event is a form of recognition for those who have succeeded in building a collaborative empowerment ecosystem rooted in local wisdom,” said Coordinating Minister Iskandar in his remarks.
UGM received the award through its community service program in Gunung Gambar Hamlet, Gunungkidul Regency. The program, initiated by a team from the UGM Faculty of Agriculture (FTP UGM) and funded by the Directorate of Community Service for the 2023/2024 fiscal year, focuses on developing a community-based coffee tourism initiative.
The activities include enrichment planting of coffee commodities, construction of seedling and drying facilities, preparation of an agro-tourism master plan, and establishment of a climate school to help residents identify pests, planting patterns, and suitable crop types.
The initiative was recognized for successfully improving production capacity and strengthening the local economy through innovations in robusta coffee marketing. UGM’s approach demonstrates that community empowerment should yield long-term benefits for local communities.
Dr. Sujito expressed his appreciation for the award, emphasizing that the achievement reflects the collective work of the entire UGM community. He reaffirmed that community service lies at the heart of the university’s tri-dharma mandate.
In the future, UGM is committed to expanding its social impact through research-based innovations and strategic partnerships.
“Alhamdulillah, this recognition inspires us to continue creating tangible benefits for the people,” said Dr. Sujito.
The Gunung Gambar coffee tourism development program actively involves lecturers and students throughout the process, from cultivation and training to post-harvest processing and digital promotion.
This collaboration demonstrates how universities can serve as strategic partners for rural communities. The program also emphasizes sustainability through continuous mentorship and capacity building for young farmers.
According to Dr. Sujito, the success in Gunung Gambar illustrates that research and community service can advance hand in hand. UGM will continue to expand similar practices across other regions in Indonesia, particularly in areas with untapped local potential.
The university also strives to make every community service activity a shared learning space between academics and the public.
“We believe the university finds its true meaning when it grows alongside the community,” he stated.
The 2025 Mandaya Award ceremony was attended by representatives from local governments, universities, private institutions, and civil society organizations from across Indonesia.
The event served as a momentum to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration in accelerating village independence and improving public welfare. UGM hopes that this recognition will inspire more institutions to play an active role in community empowerment.
“Empowerment is not merely a program. It is a collective movement to strengthen the nation from the grassroots,” concluded Dr. Sujito.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: UGM Directorate of Community Service