Diponegoro University (Undip) collaborated with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK). This collaboration includes education, research and community service.
The collaboration was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Undip, represented by Undip Rector Prof. Dr. Yos Johan Utama, S.H., M.Hum., with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, represented by the Deputy for Coordination of Social Welfare Improvement, Prof. Dr. Ir. Nunung Nuryartono, M.Si. on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 09.00 WIB at the Entrepreneurship Hall, 4th Floor, Entrepreneurship Building, Faculty of Economics and Business, Undip Tembalang.
Representing the Rector of Undip, Vice Rector I for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Faisal, S.E., M.Si., Ph.D. officially opened the event. In his speech, Prof. Faisal said that so far, Undip has carried out various activities in an effort to deal with poverty.
“Undip has so far contributed to alleviating poverty. We empower PAUD (preschool) teachers who will produce good human resources. Then, we prepared 1400 packs of free nutritious food for students, which are given from Monday to Thursday. “We have also provided scholarships to underprivileged children of fishermen around the North Coast area of Java to study at the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPIK),” explained Prof. Faisal.
Furthermore, Prof. Faisal hopes that the collaboration between Undip and the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture can optimize the efforts of Undip and the Government in handling extreme poverty in Indonesia. “We would like to thank the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture. Undip is also contributing to the 2024 extreme poverty reduction program. The resources at Undip can be optimized, and we can collaborate,” he said.
Representing the Minister of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Andie Megantara, S.H., M.M., Ph.D., expressed his appreciation for Undip’s efforts in handling poverty. “Diponegoro University has innovations to reduce extreme poverty and can become a center for handling extreme poverty,” said Andie.
Furthermore, Andie explained that the percentage of extreme poverty rates had decreased and the prosperity rate improved every year. However, to further strengthen the handling of extreme poverty, active involvement of campuses and the campus academic community is needed. “Efforts to reduce the percentage of poverty have been made, but so far, there needs to be a puzzle, namely the active involvement of campuses. The campus has many resources. We continue to collaborate with many campuses to help eradicate extreme poverty,” he said.
Furthermore, Andie emphasized that poverty is not only an economic problem. Poverty is a multidimensional problem that involves sociological, cultural, and mindset aspects of society. Therefore, he asked the campus to make a more significant contribution, especially with existing academic resources that can help find solutions to dealing with poverty.
“If campuses throughout Indonesia contributed, the handling of poverty could be extraordinary. The campus has many abundant resources. If it is possible, each campus must have a program that helps deal with poverty in the area around the campus. “Building a mindset of being ashamed of being considered poor, the academic community can also research poverty problems, and through Community Service (KKN) programs and independent campus programs,” he added.
The activity continued with a public lecture with resource person Deputy for Coordination of Social Welfare Improvement, Prof. Dr. Ir. Nunung Nuryartono, M.Si.; Head of Regional Development Administration Bureau, Endi Faiz Effendi, S.Pi., M.A.; Central and Regional Financial Analyst Young Expert of the Ministry of Finance, Yadi Hadian, Ph.D.; Head of the Department of Economics Development Studies of FEB Undip, Akhmad Syakir K., S.E., M.Si., Ph.D.; Head of the Master of Economics Study Program of FEB Undip, Wahyu Widodo, S.E., M.Si., Ph.D. The public lecture activity carried the theme “Towards the Elimination of Extreme Poverty by 2024” and was attended by the Undip academic community both online and offline.
