Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK), Aceh, have agreed to establish a collaborative Disaster Response KKN program to accelerate recovery efforts for disaster survivors in Aceh Province.
The agreement emerged during a meeting between UGM Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni, Dr. Arie Sujito, and USK Vice Rector III for Student Affairs and Alumni, Professor Mustanir, along with Head of the USK Disaster Response Task Force, Professor Syamsidik, held at the USK Rectorate Building in Aceh on Monday (Feb. 2).
Dr. Sujito stated that UGM is currently deploying 30 KKN-PPM Disaster Response students in two teams to Pidie Jaya Regency and North Aceh.
Previously, UGM task force teams and volunteers conducted emergency response and medical services, installed water purification and flood-detection systems, and built hundreds of temporary shelters (huntara).
“We are currently deploying 30 UGM KKN-PPM students in Pidie Jaya and North Aceh, as well as 11 Fisipol students as education volunteers,” he said.
Dr. Sujito added that UGM is ready to establish collaborative KKN programs and volunteer cooperation with USK. According to him, many appropriate technologies can be applied in disaster-affected communities to accelerate recovery efforts.
“We have rainwater harvesting technology that can be utilized,” he explained.
For Dr. Sujito, community recovery and infrastructure reconstruction in Aceh cannot rely solely on the government, as its resources are limited and it cannot respond swiftly. Therefore, collaboration among various stakeholders, including universities, is essential.
He also noted that UGM consistently involves UGM Alumni Family (Kagama) to support the smooth implementation of field programs.
“We always involve Kagama in deploying KKN students to help and facilitate activities on the ground,” he said.
USK Vice Rector, Professor Mustanir, expressed his institution’s readiness to collaborate in deploying Disaster Response KKN students. He noted that USK has already deployed approximately 1,050 students to help disaster-affected communities.
“In the aftermath of the disaster, we initially sent teams to support medical services in hospitals. In addition, the Mapala student activity unit also built emergency bridges,” he said.
Professor Mustanir explained that, as the disaster response enters its third month, significant improvements have not yet been observed due to limited resources at both the central and regional government levels.
“We see that progress remains limited and slow. In the long term, assistance is needed not only economically but also socially,” Professor Mustanir stated.
He invited UGM and USK research teams to jointly process field data to enable more precisely targeted future collaborative programs.
“Through field data, we can better identify priorities, what has not yet been addressed, and how we can support and coordinate with one another,” he hoped.
At the meeting, Dr. Sujito was accompanied by the Head of the UGM Bureau of Strategic Management (BMS), Dr. Wirastuti Widyatmanti; the Secretary of the UGM Directorate of Community Service, Dr. Djarot Heru Santosa; and Kagama Aceh board member Sylvia Agustina.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya