PSDKU Undip Batang held the LPPM Exhibition on Saturday, November 4, 2023, with the title Pioneering Undip Assisted Tourism Villages through the MSMEs Weekly Expo and Tumbrep Village Culture Exhibition in 2023. This event is one of the outcomes of the Community Service activities of the Science and Technology Scheme for Undip Assisted Villages (IDBU ) chaired by Ropinov Saputro, S.E., M.M. IDBU is one of the Community Service Programs funded by LPPM of Diponegoro University for the 2023 Fiscal Year.
Present at this event on behalf of the Acting Regent of Batang Regency Dra. Lani Dwi Rejeki, M.M., Assistant III Administration of the Batang Regency Regional Secretariat, Sugeng Sudiharto, S.Sos., M.M.. The Head of the Batang Regency Tourism, Youth and Sports Office, Yarsono, S.IP., M.M., Acting Secretary of BAPELITBANG Batang, Bagus Pambudi, S. Sos., M. AP., MIDS, Ph.D., Head of Bandar Subdistrict Muhammad Nasrudin, S.H., Head of Tumbrep Village, Head of Tombo Village, Head of Simpar Village, Head of the Association of Village Heads in Bandar subdistrict and the entire community of Tumbrep Village were present at the event. Meanwhile, from Diponegoro University, attending on behalf of the Rector of Undip, Deputy Head of Research for LPPM Undip, Prof. Dr. Agus Subagio, S.Si., M.Si., Chair of the PSDKU Undip Management Institute Dr. Redyanto Noor, M.Hum., and the Undip academic community including lecturers and students.
The innovation highlighted at the LPPM Undip Exhibition at PSDKU Undip Batang was the pilot of an Undip Assisted Tourism Village through the MSMEs Weekly Expo and Tumbrep Village Culture Exhibition. In his report in front of guests, Ropinov stated that community service activities are not just an obligation but are a medium and means for academics, lecturers and students to implement science and technology to solve problems in society. In this case, it is creating a new economic epicenter by establishing a weekly MSMEs market, which is held every Sunday morning in front of the PSDKU Undip Batang campus. All facilities, such as MSME tents, are facilitated by LPPM Undip. Once every 2 weeks, the Tumbrep MSMEs Forum gathers at the Undip Batang campus to receive entrepreneurship training. On Sunday, MSME actors are encouraged to practice the knowledge they have gained in the real world at the weekly expo. “This is the second time that we, Undip academics at PSDKU Batang, have held an exhibition to communicate the community empowerment that we carry out every year. These two activities are also intended to engage stakeholders to support what we are doing jointly. Third, this is an innovation we welcome for the Monitoring and Evaluation of LPPM Undip as a funder,” explained Ropinov Saputro.
Assistant III of the Regional Secretariat of Batang Regency, in his speech, expressed his appreciation for what Undip had built in Tumbrep village. The events are a good synergy and collaboration between Undip and the Batang Regency Government. Meanwhile, Undip, through the Deputy Head of LPPM Research, Prof. Agus Subagio, said this innovation was extraordinary and made Undip very close to society. Prof. Agus also stated that PSDKU Undip Batang’s innovation was superior and exceptional.
The event continued with the handover of assets in the form of Undip’s Tumbrep MSMEs Tent, symbolically with a ribbon cutting and signing of the asset handover minutes. Then, the leaders of the two agencies and their teams carried out direct inspections and friendly relations with around 20 traders who were members of the Tumbrep MSME Forum. “In the evening, the Undip Tumbrep MSME Forum was invited to open merchandise at the Bandar sub-district event initiated by the Subdistrict Head, Muhammad Nashruddin, S.H. On the next day, the Head of Tombo Village, Mustajab, S.Pd., at the Tombo Village MUSRENBANG event, Monday, November 6, in front of guests, including UNDIP, stated that they would encourage food sellers (warung) to open stalls with similar tents. “From this, it can be seen that the echo of the energy of forming a people’s economic center is spreading very quickly,” added Ropinov Saputro.