UNS — Alumni Association which is usually formed based on region, does not stop ten Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta alumni to establish Forum Silaturahmi Kepala Desa Alumni UNS (Friendship Forum for Village Chief Graduated from UNS) because they all currently serving as village chief. The forum was initiated after they know that all of them are serving as village chief. The unnamed forum was established in December 2020 and had four members. In three months, the forum expanded to ten members in Central Java: three from Kebumen, one from Purworejo, one from Magelang, one from Sukoharjo, one from Sragen, one from Wonogiri, one from Karanganyar, and one from Temanggung.
Tri Prasetyo Utomo, S.Si., Srimulyo Village Chief in Gondang Subdistrict, Sragen District stated that the forum started from chat groups in each year, old student organization, and faculties. “We saw that there are alumni who serve as Village Chief. We contacted them and offered whether they want to join. We did not force because we know Village Chief has many duties,” he added.
Seven of the village chiefs then conducted a workshop with the university board on Wednesday (24/3/2021) and was attended directly by the Rector of UNS, Prof. Jamal Wiwoho. On the occasion, Forum Silaturahmi Kepala Desa Alumni UNS aims to build synergy with the university to supervise them in building their respective village. “We want to connect with the campus. The advanced village has a campus behind it. So, we want that. We do not want to develop alone as Village Chief, but (we want) to bring UNS name in it (village development),” Tri emphasized.
This forum’s members have developed a synergy with UNS in developing Early Warning System (EWS), for example, two villages Krandegan Village, Purworejo District, led by Dwinanto S.E. and Wonorejo Village, Sukoharjo District led by Yusuf Aziz Rahma, A.Md., S.Pd. Other collaborations between UNS and Kradengan Village, Purworejo, is the development of Ngojol, an online motorbike taxi. “(Passengers) can find Krandegan Village, Purworejo. We are supervised by faculty members from Computer Science Program UNS both in the technical and managerial matters,” Dwinanto said.
In the future, the forum plans to expand its operation and collaborate with the central IKA UNS to find other UNS Alumni village chiefs all over Indonesia. Besides the mentioned three village chiefs, other four village chiefs also attended the workshop: Kukuh Ragil Putro, S.E., S.Pd., Pojok Village Chief, Karanganyar, Anam Luthfi, S.E., Patukgawemulyo Village Chief, Mirit, Kebumen, Imdad Durokhman, S.E., Logede Pejagoan Village Chief, Kebumen, and Mu’awan Akhyar, S.Pd., Kembaran Village Chief, Magelang.
In the workshop held in Pendapa Agung (Grand Pavilion) Javanologi, the UNS alumni village chiefs were also welcomed by Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation Affairs UNS, Prof. Kuncoro Diharjo, Chief of LPPM, Prof. Okid Parama Astirin, Chief of PUI Javanologi, Prof. Sahid Teguh Widodo, Secretary of Javanologi, Prof. Diah Kristina, Secretary of UPKKN, Budi Siswanto, S.Pd., M.Ars., Chief of UPT Diklathut Gunung Bromo, Dwi Priyo Ariyanto, S.P., M.Sc., Ph.D., and Coordinator of (Bakorlak) SAR UNS, Muhammad Sholihin. Humas UNS
Reporter: Ida Fitriyah
Editor: Dwi Hastuti