UNS — Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta held an event to send 3,767 Student Community Program (KKN) Thematic participants for Village Development for the July-August 2021 period on Tuesday (3/8/2021) through the Zoom Cloud Meeting.
The ceremony was led symbolically by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Kemendagri) RI, represented by the Mendagri Expert Staff in Community and Inter-Institutional Relations, Dr. Sugeng Hariyono. This event was also attended by the Rector of UNS, Prof. Jamal Wiwoho; Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs UNS, Prof. Ahmad Yunus; the Chief of Institute of Research and Community Service (LPPM) UNS, Prof. Okid Parama Astirin; and Kebumen Regent, H. Arif Sugiyanto.
In his opening remark, Prof. Jamal stated that UNS Thematic KKN for Village Development is an answer for the multidimensional crisis affecting Indonesia due to the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic. He said that students and teachers as the nation’s assets with the ability to perform multi-roles activities should assist the community in handling the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The community has high expectations for university teachers and student’s ability in finding a solution because they consider academics as people who know everything. The duty to teach the truth to the community is a difficult and collective task for all of us,” Prof. Jamal said.
In this Community Service Program, 3,767 students and 385 Field Supervisors are dispatched to 127 districts/cities in Indonesia. Prof. Jamal added that this program is a form of UNS students’ return home’. Students as representatives from the community should devote their life to develop and improve community welfare. “Coming directly to the local region, meeting their relatives with problems is the noblest part of Higher Education Tridharma,” Prof. Jamal stated.
He added that it is essential to invite the community to develop and improve their local potential. The diverse educational background of the participants should serve as a solution for local communities amid the health crisis. The Rector views that multidisciplinary action through this community service program is appropriate for solving multidimensional issues. “UNS also dispatched 178 Medicine Education students who could provide promotive and preventive means of Covid-19 handling, applying health protocols, and if needed assist in vaccination program in the target region,” he explained.
Responding to the dispatched students, Kebumen Regent, H. Arif Sugiyanto, thanked UNS for trusting his region to be the target area in the program. He hopes that this program could benefit and improve the community’s ability to develop local potentials.
“Thank you, Bapak Rector, because Kebumen again become a target for KKN UNS. Hopefully, UNS Thematic KKN for Village Development could improve our people’s ability in managing local potentials,” H. Arif Sugiyanto stated. Humas UNS
Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
