The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Fisipol UGM), held a briefing and send-off ceremony for the Fisipol Mengajar program for disaster-affected areas in Sumatra. The initiative is a volunteer program designed to support educational rehabilitation in Aceh.
The briefing and send-off were attended by UGM Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni, Dr. Arie Sudjito; Director of Community Service, Dr. Rustamaji; and Director of Student Affairs, Dr. Hempri Suyatna, at Fisipol UGM on Monday (Jan. 5).
Dean of Fisipol UGM, Dr. Wawan Mas’udi, explained that the Fisipol Mengajar program is a Fisipol UGM initiative to contribute to post-disaster education recovery and rehabilitation efforts in Aceh.
The program is fully supported by the university and implemented in collaboration with the Sukma Foundation as a strategic partner.
“A total of 12 Fisipol UGM student volunteers will be deployed and assigned to two different areas, namely Bireuen and Pidie Jaya. These twelve students will carry out volunteer activities for 30 days, from Jan. 10 to Feb. 8, 2026,” he said.
Dr. Mas’udi expressed hope that these education volunteers would provide tangible benefits to the people of Aceh, who are currently in the recovery phase.
In his message during the briefing, he emphasized the importance of respecting and understanding local culture as a fundamental foundation for all forms of humanitarian work and community service in the field.
The Fisipol Mengajar program received an overwhelmingly positive response from Fisipol UGM students. More than 90 students registered for the program.
Following a multi-stage selection process at the study program and faculty levels, 12 students were deemed ready to be deployed directly to the field.
The selection and preparation process for the volunteers was relatively brief. It began with registration on Dec. 31, 2025 to Jan. 1, 2026, followed by study program-level selection on Jan. 1 to 2, 2026, announcement of results and initial briefing on Jan. 3, 2026, faculty-level briefing and send-off on Jan. 5, 2026, volunteer departure on Jan. 6, 2026, volunteer training on Jan. 7 to 9, 2026, and deployment to the field on Jan. 10, 2026.
The UGM Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni welcomed Fisipol UGM’s response in contributing to education recovery efforts.
According to him, the program provides significant momentum for the Fisipol UGM academic community to conduct ethnographic assessments of various issues and social changes in post-disaster areas.
“The results of these assessments are expected to serve as a foundation for the faculty in developing future research, including strengthening academic activities and field-based research,” he said.
During the event, he also took the opportunity to encourage the volunteers to carry out the program wholeheartedly and to prepare themselves thoroughly.
He reminded them to always prioritize safety during their assignments so they can perform their roles well and return home in good health.
The capacity-building session also included material on jotting techniques and field notes, delivered by Dr. Fina Itriyati.
She explained that jotting is an observation technique that uses brief, quick notes, intermediate in nature, serving as spontaneous primary data that records conditions at the time of events. As such, these notes are considered more accurate and honest in capturing field realities.
“This technique can certainly become an important reflection tool for volunteers after returning from the field,” she explained.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: Fisipol UGM