UNS — A total of 1,071 students from Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) in Surakarta are actively engaging in the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) community service program, UNS Membangun Desa (Building Villages), from January to February 2024. The symbolic commencement was conducted by UNS Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ahmad Yunus, M.S., at the Pendopo PUI Javanologi UNS on Monday (15/1/2024).
Head of the UNS Community Service Unit, Dr. rer. nat. Nurhadi, S.Ant., M.Hum., stated in his remarks that the locations for the KKN MBKM UNS Membangun Desa program from January to February 2024 are spread across various regions, including Central Java, East Java, West Java, Southeast Sulawesi, and West Nusa Tenggara. “The themes are related to programs we run with various partners, whether they are local governments (Pemda), companies, or ministries. For example, there is a theme about resilient creative villages proposed by the Disaster Study Center (PSB or Pusat Studi Bencana). Another example is the master plan for the development of settlements along the Kalianyar River in Surakarta proposed by the Research Group of the Faculty of Engineering (FT). We also collaborate with the related ministry on the development of smart villages,” Dr. rer. nat. Nurhadi explained.
The Community Service Unit has started deploying students to participate in the KKN MBKM UNS Membangun Desa program on January 16, 2024, and they will be recalled in early March 2024. “Why until early March 2024? Because during the upcoming elections in February, we will temporarily recall the students for 7 days, and then they will be sent back,” Dr. rer. nat. Nurhadi added.
Meanwhile, UNS Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ahmad Yunus, M.Si., expressed that one of the goals of the MBKM community service program is to bring students closer to the community. “So that students understand the social and cultural conditions of the community and the potential of the village where the community service is located. I hope what is found in the community service location can be raised in scientific papers or in the form of a thesis. Identify a problem and solve it based on scientific methods so that the solution can be in the form of innovation,” Prof. Yunus explained.
Prof. Yunus hoped that the implementation of the KKN MBKM UNS Membangun Desa program from January to February 2024, which runs from January 16 to early March 2024, could proceed smoothly. “Hopefully, everyone is in good health and can bring good benefits to students, especially in fulfilling the duties of the MBKM community service. I hope the presence of UNS community service students can be beneficial to the community. And I advise, coincidentally, that this is the period of the General Election (Pemilu), you must take care of yourselves and not get provoked if there is a campaign,” Prof. Yunus emphasized. HUMAS UNS/ Dwi Hastuti
