Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki dispatched 6,029 UGM students for the 2021 Student Community Service – Community Empowerment Learning (SCS-CEL), Friday (2/7). The SCS-CEL will take place online from July 5 to August 23. Students will serve as many as 24 provinces, 70 regencies/cities, 178 sub-districts, and 441 villages throughout Indonesia and guided by 211 field supervisors and 18 regional coordinators.
Minister Teten appreciated the implementation of the online SCS-CEL program amid the pandemic. He hopes the program can help MSMEs compete and digitalize their products and services to expand to a wider market and increase profit. In return, students can also learn and explore entrepreneurial opportunities and actively engage in the real sector.
“One of the SCS-CEL themes aims to improve community welfare through MSME and village-owned enterprise-based economic empowerment, and it is very relevant to the current situation. We really welcome this program. Hopefully, students can improve their competencies to advance real sectors such as animal husbandry, agriculture, plantations, fisheries, and others,” said Teten.
UGM Rector Professor Panut Mulyono added that SCS-CEL aimed to produce true leaders with empathy and concern for real problems in society. It was among the means that UGM took to support Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and help achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He advised students to remain compliant with health measures despite it being carried out online.
“In 2020, UGM successfully held the SCS-CEL program amid the pandemic. Through online-offline activities, students carried out various programs to help communities deal with COVID-19 and other issues,” said Panut.
Governor of Central Java and Chair of Kagama (UGM Alumni Association) Ganjar Pranowo hopes students can assist MSMEs and Village-owned Enterprises and improve formal and informal education, village development, tourist village development, and many. On the same occasion, UGM Director of Community Service Professor Irfan Dwidya Prijambada revealed this year’s SCS-CEL was planned initially for online and offline. However, given the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, UGM decided to hold the program entirely online for the safety and health of the students and community.
Author: Ika
Photo: Firsto