The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs partnered with 16 universities in Yogyakarta, including Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), to accelerate poverty alleviation through social empowerment. The agreement was signed at Grha Sabha Pramana UGM by Minister Saifullah Yusuf and university leaders.
In addition to UGM, these partnerships include Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Yogyakarta, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Universitas Gunung Kidul, Universitas Sanata Dharma, Universitas Atma Jaya, Universitas Mercu Buwana Yogyakarta, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Politeknik Pembangunan Pertanian Yogyakarta, Politeknik Multimedia Yogyakarta, Politeknik Akademik Teknologi Kulit Yogyakarta, and Akademik Pembangunan Masyarakat Desa Yogyakarta.
The collaboration with UGM was initiated by the Minister of Social Affairs, Saifullah Yusuf, and the Rector of UGM, Professor Ova Emilia, followed by the signing of agreements with the leaders of the respective universities.
The signing ceremony took place at Grha Sabha Pramana on Thursday (Jul. 17), in conjunction with the event “Dare to Graduate, Ready to Realize the Golden Generation”, a graduation ceremony for families who no longer wish to depend on social assistance but are committed to pursuing empowerment programs.
Saifullah Yusuf stated that social assistance should return to its original purpose, meeting the most basic needs with clear targets and objectives.
Citing data from the National Economic Council, he mentioned that subsidies and social assistance in 2025 are projected to exceed 500 trillion rupiah, but a portion is suspected to be mistargeted. He pointed out that assistance is sometimes received by individuals who are not actually eligible.
“That’s why President Prabowo has instructed both the deputy minister and me to be directly involved in data consolidation, to ensure that those who receive assistance are the rightful recipients,” he explained.
Yusuf emphasized that from the beginning, the president has instructed him and the Deputy Minister of Social Affairs to base their work on data. To ensure accurate targeting, the task is carried out by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) through the National Unified Social and Economic Data, which is now in place.
“The order is clear; no ministry or regional government may have its own separate datasets. For what purpose? Data consolidation, so that our data is accurate and assistance reaches the right people. Hopefully, in the future, this data will continue to show declining numbers, indicating that social aid and subsidies are reaching the intended recipients. Based on Presidential Instruction No. 4 of 2020, for the first time under President Prabowo’s leadership, Indonesia now has a unified data system,” he said.
Mira Riyati Kurniasih, Director General of Social Empowerment at the Ministry of Social Affairs, stated that the importance of collaborating with the 16 universities in Yogyakarta lies in the effort to accelerate poverty alleviation through social empowerment.
The Keluarga Harapan Program (PKH) is one of the national priority programs, and its significance lies in collectively reducing poverty through targeted social assistance.
“Graduation of PKH and basic food assistance recipients marks an important commitment and signifies the participants’ success in improving their quality of life and becoming self-reliant,” she said.
Rector Emilia expressed her appreciation and gratitude to the Ministry of Social Affairs for entrusting UGM to host the Graduation Ceremony for PKH Beneficiary Families (KPM).
According to her, this event is not just ceremonial but also reflects UGM’s commitment as the People’s University to contribute to societal welfare and respond to the nation’s social challenges.
“Universities have a strategic role in the downstream of innovations, technologies, and poverty alleviation programs that society needs. This program certainly requires collaboration and synergy with various stakeholders, including inter-university cooperation,” she added.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Kezia Dwina Nathania
Photographer: Donnie Trisfian