The Directorate of Community Service of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), represented by the Head of the Subdirectorate of Community Service Program for Students (KKN-PPM), Ir. Nanung Agus Fitriyanto, S.Pt., M.Sc., Ph.D., received a visit from Prof. Ian Rowlands, who is a Professor and Associate Vice President, International University of Waterloo, Canada, at the Meeting Room of the Directorate of Community Service of UGM on Monday (13/2). The visit was also attended by representatives from the Directorate of International Affairs of UGM.
Professor Ian stated that this was his first visit to Indonesia, and he was very interested in hearing about the community service activities carried out by Universitas Gadjah Mada. “Our rector at the University of Waterloo pays close attention to the role and responsibility of the university towards the surrounding community. So, it will be very interesting to hear about the practice of community services here,” he said.
In addition to the friendly conversation, the Head of KKN-PPM UGM explained how the Directorate of Community Service of UGM serves as a shelter for community service activities carried out by UGM lecturers and students. “Community service is one of the main pillars of our university in Indonesia. It is mandatory for lecturers to carry out community service activities in the form of empowering the community, as the responsibility of the university towards the community,” he explained. Furthermore, Dr. Nanung also explained the history of community service through KKN-PPM student activities and various national and international collaborations, such as the SDGs center and the Yogyakarta Regional Center Expertise (RCE), which serves as a model university in Indonesia.
Professor Ian was very enthusiastic about the information provided, especially when Dr. Nanung explained about KKN-PPM, which is a mandatory course for undergraduate students who have fulfilled a certain amount of credit points. “KKN is carried out in four periods, where students can choose the period that suits their condition. After that, they will form a team consisting of 20-30 students from various disciplines, with guidance from one lecturer as a supervisor,” explained Dr. Nanung. Professor Ian seemed to take note and listened carefully to every detail of the information provided. He expressed his appreciation for the KKN themes that have been carried out, such as KKN Disaster Care, and expressed his desire to collaborate with UGM regarding the KKN activities carried out. “It is amazing to see KKN as a characteristic of Universitas Gadjah Mada. If possible, the University of Waterloo would be delighted to bring our students to experience serving the community through KKN at UGM,” he said. Dr. Nanung welcomed the intention and explained that there have been many international students who have participated in KKN at UGM, such as from Japan, France, Australia, and many more.
The visit was concluded by watching a video of KKN-PPM UGM, which featured the activities of foreign students during their KKN program. In addition, Professor Ian and Dr. Nanung exchanged booklets about the profiles of their respective institutions and ended with a group photo.
