Dr. Arie Sujito, the UGM Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni, embarked on a two-day working visit to the Madiun City Government in East Java from Jan. 12-13.
Accompanied by a UGM team, Dr. Sujito’s mission encompassed strengthening partnerships for deploying UGM students in the Community Service Program (KKN), providing mentorship for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and advancing UGM’s global standing through alumni contributions to national development.
Dr. Djarot Heru Santosa, the Secretary of the UGM Directorate of Community Service, shared insights with reporters on Monday (Jan. 15), highlighting the visit’s agenda. The visit kicked off with a meeting with Madiun’s Mayor, Dr. Maidi, followed by a focused discussion group session with UGM alumni.
“During the meeting with the mayor, we reached an understanding to enhance collaboration with the Madiun City Government, focusing on the deployment of UGM students in the Madiun area and the MSME mentoring program,” said Dr. Santosa.
In their meeting with the mayor, he mentioned they proposed initiating a discussion forum with alumni.
“The FGD aims to reinforce UGM’s standing as a world-class university by inviting the mayor as one of the speakers to share his success story in developing Madiun city,” explained Dr. Santosa.
The FGD took place at the Perhutani Training Center and saw the participation of alumni from various East Java regions, including Tulungagung, Magetan, Ponorogo, Trenggalek, and Madiun.
This gathering served as a platform to communicate UGM’s achievements, such as its global ranking among the top 300 universities, and provided insights into the latest policies and work programs initiated by UGM leaders.
Mayor Maidi underscored the significant impact higher education institutions could have on regional progress by producing many high-quality human resources.
“In the case of Madiun, which lacks abundant natural resources, our human resources must be of high quality. Achieving this is possible through top-notch education,” emphasized the mayor.
The UGM delegation included several key officials, such as the Director of Student Affairs, Dr. Sindung Tjahyadi; the Head of the Alumni Office, Dr. Sulistyowati; and the coordinator of the World Class University (WCU) team, Dr. Sentagi Sesotya Utami.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photo: Madiuntoday.id