UII Students Join Community Service Outside of Java

Yogyakarta—As part of expanding services to the community, Universitas Islam Indonesia’s Student Laboratory (LABMA) organized a Community Service activity outside of the Java Island. The activity serves as an alternative to the traditional compulsory community work (KKN) for students to apply their knowledge.

Participating students were released during a departure ceremony held at UII’s GBPH Prabuningrat Rectorate Building on Friday, 28 July 2023. Attending the event were Head of UII’s KKN Program dr. Raden Edi Fitriyanto, M.Gizi.; UII Director of Student Coaching Beni Suranto, S.T., M.Soft.Eng.; Field Supervisory Lecturer (DPL) Arif Fajar Wibisono, S.E., M.Sc.; and LABMA UII members that come from various disciplines.

The activity, themed Sinergi Aksi untuk Negeri: Mewujudkan Masyarakat Desa Tampelas yang Mandiri dan Berkemajuan Melalui Program Berbasis Human Ecology, is the second LABMA UII event after the pandemic ended. KKN programs have been taking place in Kamipang and Katingan Districts in Central Kalimantan Province since 2017 but were suspended during the pandemic.

Beni Suranto was pleased that the activity resumed. He was thankful to all parties that helped prepare for this to the point that the participating students were ready for departure. He told students to maintain the good name of themselves, their families and the university.

He also emphasized the need for good communications to ensure the activity’s smooth implementation.

“Well prepared means well done. So, please check and recheck everything before departure,” he told the students.

The pre-departure preparation is crucial to allow students to focus on the service and gather as much experience as possible. Beni Suranto hopes that the activity will benefit the local communities and inspire the students once they return to campus.

Echoing Beni, Raden Edi Fitriyanto hopes that students can adapt and read well their surroundings. He was also thankful that this activity resumed, saying that continuity is one indicator of a program’s success.

“When the activity brings good memories and the local community asks us to return, that means we succeeded,” he said.

Kemal, one of the Community Service participants, said the activity meant a lot for him. He was also thankful that the activity resumed after some years of suspension during the pandemic.

This activity is an extension of earlier programs that the university believes must be continued. In Kemal’s view, with UII’s extensive alumni network, this activity should be a routine and more frequent and massive.

Meanwhile, Sifa, another student that is part of LABMA UII, said that community service was a key focus of LABMA other than research. She said this activity was a great opportunity for students to apply the knowledge gathered during campus or from activities organized by LABMA.(VIP Magazine Vol 10)