Jakarta - Directorate General of Higher Education and Higher Institutions of Ministry of Education and Culture has conducted an educational-purposed event related to higher education transformation through Matching-Fund Kedaireka directed to Indonesian District Government Association or Asosiasi Pemerintah Kabupaten Seluruh Indonesia (Apkasi) in Indonesian on Wednesday (5/18). Kedaireka is a collaborative program platform between higher institutions with the World Business Industry, included in it Local Government’s effort to strengthen the nation's independence in terms of creativity by generating innovations that can resolve community, region, and nation issues. Kedaireka program might be open to collaborational opportunities between world business industries alongside 4000 higher institutions scattered all over Indonesia, with nearly 300.000 academics.

Directorate General of Higher Education’s temporary replacement official, Nizam, has stated that Kedaireka was born as a working catalyst between the local and higher institution’s leaders under the tri dharma mandate, which is education, research, and serving the community. This program can be one of the educational providers to develop children of the nation and an additional platform for research and community service at the same time, with its ultimate purpose of improving humanity, economic, and social welfare in each region on top of it.

“Higher education came up with Kampus Merdeka at first, which not only provides education inside of a class but at the same time strengthens a village, literacy development, the increase of plantation’s product, even to an extent of establishes a tourism village. The student learns with the community. The student was capable of establishing a village, a district, and a whole of a country only in a span of one year. With that being said, it is safe to expect in a short period of time we can finish our mission to accelerate the full potential of higher institutions for a sake of welfare and community development, as well as make the golden district come into reality,” the sharpness of his tone was clear.

There are 5 themes regarding the Kedaireka program, which are digital economy, health independence, green economy, economy and tourism recovery, as well as blue economy. Through the mentioned themes, it can be identified areas that are applicable for collaboration with the higher institutions. In the meantime, for the collaborative program with Apkasi, Kedaireka will focus more on the repression of stunting numbers.

Directorate General of Higher Education’s temporary replacement official secretary, Tjitjik Srie Tjahjandari, added, Kedaireka collaborative program will give out matching funds. For example, if the locals propose a stunting eradication program in cooperation with higher institutions, the local government is able to propose a budgeting allocation to get matching funds in return. With the matching funds, areas can be extended and intervention areas can be thoroughly escalated.

“This is a big chance which local government to be aware of it within a year. In the next year, it can be expected local government’s big role in this Kedaireka program expanded not limited only to a certain intervention area, but also to other intervention areas. We provided 56% matching funds from the Ministry of Education and Culture and 44% partnership funds in accumulative. The collaboration will not only focus on eradication of the problems but also develops local government productivity to more national and international level,” she added.

Up until today, there are already been established some examples of the Kedaireka program that is currently ongoing, such as IPB University with NTT local government for stunting eradication, and also a collaboration between Universitas Negeri Makassar with Gowa local government for an integrated coconut industry. The mentioned program was expected to be a collaborative area with higher institutions.

Tjitjik also added in her statement, that out of the two already opened programs, the enthusiasm has successfully surpassed the predicted expectation. There are 3.540 submitted proposals. Based on the submitted proposals, 69% of them aimed directly at the five existing themes, while the 31% left only have general ones. The total of the matching funds proposed for those proposals reached 4,6 trillion, while the contributing funds from partners, included in it local government partner, is 4,662 trillion.

“With the 4,6 trillion funds proposals, while the available funds were only reached 1 trillion, the competitive level has stepped up even higher. Because of that, local government through Apkasi can start preparing the program thoroughly so that it will produce better quality in the future,” she said in a firm tone.

Proposal submission for the year 2023 will be opened in 2022. Therefore, Apkasi was expected to prepare this program thoroughly so that more efficient and competitive local governments can be built to solve the existing problems systematically.