UNDIP, Semarang (22/7) – In 2026, Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) once again deployed its PATRIOT Expedition Team to the Integrated Transmigration Economic Areas (Kawasan Ekonomi Transmigrasi Terintegrasi/KETT) in support of the Indonesian Ministry of Transmigration’s program to accelerate the development of transmigration regions. The UNDIP PATRIOT Expedition Team 2026 comprises 144 participants from UNDIP and partner universities, including faculty members, students, and alumni, who will be assigned to 20 transmigration areas in Papua and four locations in South Sumatra.
The orientation and send-off ceremony for the UNDIP PATRIOT Expedition Team 2026 was held on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. (WIB) at the ICT Center Building, UNDIP Tembalang Campus. In his virtual address, UNDIP Rector Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si. encouraged all expedition members to uphold their personal integrity and the reputation of their alma mater while ensuring that their activities bring meaningful benefits to local communities. “As you depart for Sumatra and Papua, I hope you continue to inspire others and make valuable contributions to Indonesia. Have a safe journey, and may you all return home in good health,” said the Rector.
Representing the Rector, UNDIP Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Public Communication, Wijayanto, S.I.P., M.Si., Ph.D., attended the ceremony and symbolically sent off the expedition team. In his remarks, he emphasized that UNDIP continues to grow as a global epistemic community with a mission to transform knowledge into impactful solutions for societal challenges.
“This expedition reflects our role as ambassadors of an impactful university—working to support regional development while listening to the aspirations of local communities. The 2025 expedition successfully fulfilled its mission, and we hope the UNDIP PATRIOT Expedition 2026 will be equally successful and beneficial,” he said.
Prof. Dr.Ing. Wiwandari Handayani, S.T., M.T., MPS, Chair of the UNDIP PATRIOT Expedition Team Person in Charge (PIC), expressed her full support for the program and encouraged all participants to collaborate in delivering innovations that contribute to sustainable development. “This year’s program focuses on supporting infrastructure development, commodity development, institutional strengthening, and human resource capacity building,” she explained.
The Head of UNDIP’s Institute for Research and Community Services (LPPM), Prof. Dr.Ing. Ir. Suherman, S.T., M.T., stated that the PATRIOT Expedition demonstrates higher education institutions’ commitment to supporting the national development agenda through science-based innovation and community empowerment in transmigration areas.
The program provides an opportunity for the academic community to make tangible contributions in addressing development challenges across transmigration regions. During the PATRIOT Expedition 2026 orientation, UNDIP invited four distinguished speakers to provide participants with comprehensive knowledge and practical perspectives.
The first session was delivered by Dr. Ir. Jawoto Sih Setyono, MDP, on “Transmigration Development Policies in Indonesia Through the Years.” He explained that the expedition team’s field activities would focus on historical, spatial, economic, social, institutional, and equity dimensions. He also outlined three key domains of transmigration area development policy: (1) regional and local development; (2) spatial integration through stronger rural-urban connectivity; and (3) institutional capacity building at multiple levels.
The second speaker, Annastasia Ediati, S.Psi., M.Sc., Ph.D., presented “Social Adaptation and Strengthening Team Collaboration.” She emphasized that the success of rural development programs depends greatly on community acceptance. Therefore, expedition teams should adopt a social-cultural entry approach when integrating into local communities. “Building trust requires formal communication with stakeholders such as government agencies, district heads, and village leaders, as well as informal engagement through outreach with farmer groups, community health volunteers, and Family Welfare Movement (PKK) members. In certain regions, particularly in Papua, teams should also observe local customs by seeking permission from tribal chiefs, known as Ondoafi,” she explained.
Next, Dr. Nurul Hasfi, S.Sos., M.A. delivered a session on “Effective Communication in Social Engagement and Public Communication.” She highlighted the importance of empathetic intercultural communication and ethical storytelling when sharing field experiences on social media.
“Storytelling is more than simply producing content. It combines emotion, information, and identity to create meaningful emotional engagement with audiences. According to research from Stanford Graduate School of Business, stories are remembered up to 22 times more effectively, allowing audiences to connect more deeply with the message,” she said.
Meanwhile, Robetmi Jumpakita Pinem, S.AB., MBA., Ph.D. discussed “Strengthening Local Economies Through Community Empowerment.” He explained that local economic resilience can be achieved by optimizing local resources and empowering communities to manage their own economic potential. Through the UNDIP PATRIOT Expedition 2026, communities in transmigration areas are expected to benefit from skills training, business mentoring, financial management guidance, and expanded access to digital technologies.
Through the PATRIOT Expedition 2026, participants will serve in several national priority transmigration areas, including KT Senggi in Keerom Regency, Papua, as well as KT Petata (Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir Regency), KT Parit Rambutan (Ogan Ilir Regency), KT Telang (Banyuasin Regency), and KT Kikim (Lahat Regency) in South Sumatra.
The placement of participants across these regions is expected to generate development recommendations and practical solutions that are responsive to local social, economic, and environmental dynamics. The expedition is also expected to catalyze adaptive, sustainable, and community-centered development models that improve the quality of life for people living in transmigration areas.
The partner universities participating in the UNDIP PATRIOT Expedition Team 2026 include:
- Universitas Negeri Semarang
- Universitas Sriwijaya
- Universitas Gadjah Mada
- Universitas Brawijaya
- Universitas Semarang
- Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
- Universitas Cendrawasih
- Institut Teknologi Sumatera
- Institut Pertanian STIPER Yogyakarta
- Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta
- Universitas Muhammadiyah Ponorogo
- Politeknik Negeri Jember
- Universitas Ronggolawe
- Universitas Terbuka
- Universitas Islam Indonesia
- Universitas Lampung
- UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
- Politeknik Negeri Pontianak
- Universitas Syiah Kuala
- Universitas Pembangunan Panca Budi Medan
- Universitas Islam Sultan Agung
(Public Communication/UNDIP/Titis)
