National Collaboration: UKDW Joins Push to Empower Communities and Tackle Poverty

YOGYAKARTA – Rector of Duta Wacana Christian University (UKDW), Dr.-Ing. Wiyatiningsih, S.T., M.T., took part in the National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) of the Higher Education Forum for Community Empowerment, hosted by Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA) on Thursday, August 14, 2025.

The meeting served as a strategic platform to strengthen the role of universities in advancing community empowerment programs and alleviating poverty across Indonesia. The event brought together senior stakeholders, including Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhaimin Iskandar, alongside hundreds of university leaders, ministry officials, and student representatives from across the country.

In his keynote remarks, Minister Iskandar underscored the urgency of cross-sector collaboration to eradicate poverty, particularly in rural areas. He revealed that Indonesia still has 3.1 million people living in extreme poverty.

“We must bring poverty down to zero percent by 2026. Achieving this requires serious cross-sector collaboration, especially in rural communities, with universities playing a critical role,” he stressed.

A key highlight of the meeting was the joint declaration of commitment by universities to support community empowerment efforts in more than 20,000 villages nationwide. The initiative aligns with the Tridarma Perguruan Tinggi—the threefold mission of Indonesian higher education institutions, which includes education, research, and community service.

Abdul Haris, Deputy for Community Empowerment in Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Special Areas at the Coordinating Ministry, emphasized education’s pivotal role in breaking the cycle of poverty.

“Education is the key. If universities actively engage in developing villages, the impact will spread widely and equitably across Indonesia,” Haris said.

The event also featured Innovilleague, a national competition of innovative community empowerment ideas for students, initiated by the Coordinating Ministry. This year’s contest drew 482 teams comprising 1,894 students from across the country. Eight finalist teams were selected to present their ideas before the forum and receive awards.

Rakornas was organized in collaboration with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, the Indonesian Rectors Forum (FRI), and the Council of State University Rectors (MRPTNI). This year’s theme was: “Optimizing the Role of Universities in Poverty Alleviation and Community Empowerment through the Tridarma of Higher Education.”

In addition to keynote addresses and the joint declaration, the meeting featured panel discussions with senior government officials, including:

• Panel Barus – Deputy for Cooperative Business Development, Ministry of Cooperatives
• Samsul Widodo – Director General for Accelerating Development of Disadvantaged Regions, Ministry of Villages
• Mira Riyati Kurniasih – Director General for Social Empowerment, Ministry of Social Affairs
• Tigor Pangaribuan – Deputy for Systems and Governance, National Nutrition Agency
• Pristiyanto – Assistant Deputy for Micro-Enterprise Supply Chain Partnerships, Ministry of MSMEs

Through this forum, universities are expected to serve not only as centers of knowledge but also as driving forces of social change—helping to address inequality and poverty, especially in Indonesia’s most disadvantaged regions.

W-ID: mpk | Ed. (ENG): drr