UNDIP, Batam (11/10) – Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) continues to demonstrate its role as a world-class university that delivers tangible contributions to national development. Through collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, and the Ministry of Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia, UNDIP organized the 2026 Summer Course entitled “Transformative Transmigration Planning Towards Green Barelang,” which produced concrete recommendations for the development of the Barelang Transmigration Area covering Batam, Rempang, and Galang in the Riau Islands.
The results of the program, which involved 1,500 participants, were presented at the Transmigration Festival 2026 in Tanjung Banon, Rempang, Batam, on Saturday (10/10). The festival served as a meeting platform for government representatives, academics, communities, and various stakeholders to promote the transformation of transmigration areas into more productive, inclusive, and sustainable regions.
The Summer Course, initiated by UNDIP together with TUM and the Ministry of Transmigration, involved 20 TUM students, accompanied by Prof. Walter Timo de Vries, Chair of Land Management at TUM, and Prof. Wiwandari Handayani, Professor at UNDIP’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, as well as Indonesian academics and students. The participation of the German delegation was funded by the Ministry of Transmigration as part of efforts to strengthen international collaboration in the development of transmigration areas. Several Indonesian universities also participated in the program, including Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Brawijaya, and Universitas Padjadjaran.
UNDIP Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Public Communication, Wijayanto, S.I.P., M.Si., Ph.D., who represented the UNDIP Rector at the Transmigration Festival 2026, emphasized that the program reflects UNDIP’s approach to internationalization, which is oriented toward delivering societal benefits.
“This Summer Course is a tangible manifestation of UNDIP as a world-class university collaborating with one of Germany’s leading universities, the Technical University of Munich. At the same time, it embodies the spirit of ‘Noble and Valuable UNDIP’. This summer school does not take place solely in classrooms. Students and academics engage directly with real challenges faced by communities in transmigration areas, understand those challenges, and formulate concrete solutions to improve their quality of life,” Wijayanto said.
He added that international collaboration is intended not merely to enhance academic reputation but also to connect global expertise with Indonesia’s development needs. Through this approach, universities serve as a bridge between scientific knowledge, government policy, and community needs.
From Field-Based Learning to Recommendations for Barelang Transmigration Area Development
Unlike conventional summer courses that are largely centered on campus-based learning, the program in Barelang was designed around field observations, dialogue with local communities, analysis of regional potential, and the formulation of area development strategies.
Throughout the program, participants examined various development challenges in transmigration areas, including local economic development, land and landscape management, environmental sustainability, and community social empowerment.
The learning outcomes were subsequently developed into recommendations for the Barelang Transmigration Area through the Green Barelang Spatial Development Design approach, which integrates economic, social, environmental, infrastructure, and regional connectivity dimensions.
The recommendations received appreciation from the Ministry of Transmigration. Minister of Transmigration Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara welcomed the input from TUM academics and expressed his commitment to following up on the recommendations, including several proposals that have already begun to be implemented in the field.
During the Transmigration Festival 2026, research findings and regional development ideas were also showcased through a poster exhibition. The participation of UNDIP and TUM played an important role in introducing research-based and internationally collaborative development approaches to both the government and local communities.
The festival also involved various Indonesian universities, highlighting the importance of inter-institutional synergy in supporting the transformation of transmigration areas.
Prof. Wiwandari Handayani explained that the ideas focused on local economic development through green tourism by optimizing the potential of mangrove forests, fisheries, local culture, and tourism villages. Other recommendations addressed landscape and geospatial data management, including strengthening land tenure security and developing spatial information systems to support regional planning.
“We also hope that this program will encourage better environmental and ecological management through rainwater utilization, waste management, environmentally friendly infrastructure, coastal conservation, as well as community empowerment through the Skill-Hub Rempang Eco-City, which is designed to improve skills, develop local enterprises, and strengthen community participation in regional development,” she added.
These various recommendations demonstrate that international academic collaboration can generate concrete development ideas by integrating economic, environmental, spatial planning, and community welfare considerations.
Through this initiative, UNDIP reaffirms its role as a university that not only builds global academic networks but also translates multidisciplinary expertise into development recommendations that provide tangible benefits to communities and the government. (Public Communication/UNDIP)
