Directorate of Cooperation and Alumnae UGM held an event namely UGM Listens entitled Synergy to Develop the Nation at Senate Hall UGM on Friday (2/6). The event was a gathering for UGM and several Heads of Districts in Indonesia. Several Heads of Districts who attended the event were Mayor of Gorontalo, Regent of Puncak, Vice Regent of Sleman, Vice Mayor of Salatiga, Vice Mayor of Yogyakarta, Vice Regent of Wonosobo, and Regent of Kulonprogo. In the event, those Heads of Districts presented the superiority, potential, and challenges faced by their region in front of UGM Rector, Board of Professors, Deans of Faculties, and Board of Trustees.
One of the Heads of Districts who delivered his aspiration was Regent of Kulonprogo, dr. H. Hasro Wardoyo, Sp.OH(K) who is an alumnae of Faculty of Medicine UGM. He presented several potentials and issues faced by Kulonprogo. He said the main issue faced by Kulonprogo is social gap and poverty in which it includes in the top three of the highest Gini Ratio in Indonesia.
“Poverty is mainly suffered by the society in the mountainous area in Kulonprogo who usually works as a coconut tree tappers. Of the approximately 5,900 coconut tree tappers, almost entirely are poor,” said Hasto.
In the end of his presentation, Hasto invited UGM to be present in the society. Hasto asked UGM to conduct a research regarding the methods to overcome the poverty which can be a reference for them in overcoming their poverty issue. Moreover, he also hopes UGM has a village model to test the methods to overcome the poverty in Kulonprogo.
UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng., said UGM needs to formulate the right ways to solve various issues which are continuously faced by the regions.
“UGM has to immediately perform an internal consolidation in order to contribute to solving the issues which can increase the society’s welfare,” said Panut.