Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng., along with Minister for Rural and Underdeveloped Regions and Transmigration, Eko Putro Sanjojo, released some 5,992 students for Student Community Service (KKN PPM) projects.
The event run in the courtyard of Grha Sabha Pramana (GSP) UGM on Saturday (23/6). “In 2018, the project raises the theme UGM Synergy to Build Villages,” said Panut.
The students are divided into 212 units and will do the project for 2 months from 3 June - 10 August 2018 in 34 provinces and 107 regencies/municipalities in Indonesia.
Panut said KKN-PPM was a learning process for all UGM students through research based community services. It aims to develop empathy and care of UGM academics towards real problems among society.
“As the university of the people, UGM has the commitment to serve the nation. Since 1951, UGM had dispatched students to areas outside Java to teach at high schools as the first form of community service,” he said.
Now as a compulsory programme for UGM students, said the Rector, the KKN has developed as a response to the dynamics among society and globalisation challenges.
Rural Areas Minister appreciates UGM for the dispatch of the students to all Indonesian provinces. “We appreciate highly the effort of UGM that had consistently since the 1960s dispatched students to villages,” he said.
Minister Eko said many rural people were still disadvantaged amidst the high economic growth. In his opinion, a barrier in rural development is the few number of graduates that want to build the village. So, through the KKN, the young people can get involved in rural and transmigration areas development activities. By going directly to the field, the students can participate and give ideas and innovation to explore the rural potential.
“President Joko Widodo through his Nawacita programme realised this problem and pledged to develop the nation from the rural areas. For 3.5 years, the government has disbursed up to Rp127.74 trillion for the rural development,” he said.
“Many opportunities are open in the village and we hope the students can see those and in the future become ones that create jobs and inspire the rural people,” said the Minister.