Rector UGM, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M.Eng., Ph.D., led a coordination meeting with 11 state and private universities in Yogyakarta to discus the handling of eruptions of Mt. Merapi (11/11) at the Multimedia Room UGM. The meeting started at 13.00 hours discussed various issues and the university's role in the province during the emergency response.
In the meeting Rector Sudjarwadi said that UGM has conducted three times sharing daily about the latest development of Mt. Merapi. UGM believes, hovewer, that it will be better if all universities in Yogyakarta can work in synergy. “I believe all universities in Yogyakarta have made a great deal of contribution. Therefore, the experience-sharing meeting will lead to best ideas. Although we have cooperated together on the disaster site, but many efforts have been made on the site instantly. We hope, those will optimize our role,” he said.
Sudjarwadi hoped that the coordination meeting would determine measures to take in IDP handling, not only during the emergency response period but also post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.
A cooperation with the Sleman Regency is expected to be able to build temporary shelters, recovering village economic life that can lead to an independent community.
It was revealed in the discussion that almost all universities in Yogyakarta have prepared their buildings to house survivors of eruptions. They also provided public toilets, food, health service and education.
During the emergency response, all universities in Yogyakarta have built disaster posts. Not a few have conducted fundraising campaign to meet the goal. As described by the Rector of Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII), Prof. Dr. Edy Suandi Hamid, the academic community there held a fundraising campaign for those disaster posts. Due to the location of the university which is in the danger zone, however, UII no longer accommodates IDPs. "All is limited, we're among those (having limited capacity). If until 17 November 2010 our campus is still considered as situated in the danger zone, we would like to request UGM, UIN, or UNY to lend their buildings for our academic activities," Edy Suandi Hamid said.
Ir. Kosmargono A., M.C.M., Ph.D., Rector of Universitas Atmajaya Yogyakarta made a similar statement, saying that the campus was housing 288 IDPs, consisting of 11 children, 6 teenagers, senior citizens 30, and adults 241. They have programs almost similar to others. “But we noticed that one NGO was only moving IDP to places. We need to understand what their motivations are. But now I cannot comprehend it further due to circumstances,” he said
Meanwhile, Rector of UPN “Veteran” Yogyakarta, Prof. Dr. H. Didit Welly Udjianto, M.S., said that his university currently accommodates 1.690 IDPs, involving 400 volunteers from among students, military, Sampoerna and Mie Sedap companies.
Didit Welly recognized the problem of sanitation and water. “This is certainly our concerns. We will accommodate the IDPs until what duration while by 15 November we will resume academic activities,” he said.
Obviously, all of those problems will be discussed, analyzed and worked out together between universities, the Sleman local government, and the community. Universities attending the coordination meeting were UNY, UIN, ISI, UII, UMY, Atmajaya, Sanata Dharma, STIE YKPN, STIE AA YKPN, Universitas Proklamasi, and UPN “Veteran” Yogyakarta.