Published on
Saturday, 12 September 2026
South Manokwari, ITS News — The sustainability of the transmigration program in South Manokwari, West Papua, presents a unique challenge for the Patriot Expedition Team (TEP) of the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS). The limited duration of service is one of the reasons why it is important to collaborate with partners closer to the target community. To address this issue, the team explored collaboration with the Muhammadiyah University of West Papua (UMPB) on Friday (September 11).
The semi-formal meeting, held at the UMPB campus, served as an initial step to ensure that the various programs ITS has pioneered continue after the TEP assignment ends. One focus of discussion was the sustainability of programs to improve student literacy and strengthen teacher capacity in the Momi Waren District, South Manokwari, West Papua.
TEP ITS has previously provided training to teachers as part of its efforts to strengthen the quality of learning. Going forward, the program is expected to not only improve teaching skills but also produce measurable outcomes in student competency development.
Also present at the meeting was ITS Vice Rector for Financial Planning and Infrastructure, Dr. Machsus ST MT. In his remarks, Machsus conveyed that the collaboration between ITS and UMPB is expected to broaden benefits for the community. He stated that collaboration between the two universities must be pursued jointly to deliver tangible impact.
Continuing this important point, one of the Chairs of the ITS TEP, Prof. Subchan SSi MSc PhD, explained that the ITS TEP has a limited service period. He believes that UMPB can be a strategic partner to ensure the program continues after the ITS TEP completes its service period. “Therefore, we need UMPB’s support for the program’s sustainability,” he explained.
The Professor of the Mathematics Department added that this sustainability can be achieved through various schemes. ITS, for example, can apply for funding for research and community service (Abmas), while UMPB can play a role in implementing programs in the field. This collaboration is considered to enable programs to be designed more sustainably and in line with community needs.
Responding to this, UMPB Rector Hawa Hasan, SSos, MPd, stated that UMPB is ready to take on a role in continuing the programs implemented by ITS. This readiness is supported by UMPB’s excellence in education and understanding of the local culture. Hawa emphasized the importance of ensuring that educational programs deliver concrete results. According to her, learning implementation needs to be designed in a measurable manner so that students’ abilities can be continuously monitored, including ensuring they have reading skills after completing their education.
Hawa explained that UMPB can support the program’s sustainability through various measures. One of these is community service (KKN), where UMPB students will be directly involved in community mentoring and apply the knowledge they have gained during their studies.
In addition to students, improving teacher competency is also crucial to the program’s sustainability. In practice, UMPB has developed a short-semester study program funded by the local government for teachers. This program allows teachers to improve their capacity without having to abandon their responsibilities as educators. “UMPB is ready to support the sustainability of this program,” he said firmly.
Going forward, the collaboration between ITS and UMPB is also open to development through various research and community service activities. The combination of ITS’s competencies in technology and research with UMPB’s excellence in education and understanding of local communities is expected to produce more contextual, measurable, and sustainable programs. This step also supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially point 4 on Quality Education, point 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities, and point 17 on Partnerships to Achieve Goals. (*)