“Over 10% of the world’s population live in extreme poverty, unable to fulfill the most basic needs such as food, health, education, access to clean water and sanitation. Universities need to be able to demonstrate how they are helping to address this problem through their work.”
(THE Impact Rankings)
SDG 1: NO POVERTY
University anti-poverty programmes
Empowering Students from the Lowest Income Groups through Expansive Scholarships and Endowment Support
ITS demonstrates a strong institutional commitment to inclusive education by ensuring that financial background does not limit access to higher education. The university strategically leverages two primary instruments—comprehensive scholarship programs and a self-managed endowment fund—to attract, admit, and support students from the lowest 20% of household income groups in Indonesia.
Between 2018 and 2024, ITS has distributed more than 100 distinct scholarship schemes, benefitting 63,083 students in total. This broad network of financial aid reflects the university’s sustained effort to make education accessible to economically disadvantaged groups.
Notably, in 2024 alone, ITS managed to channel 73 types of scholarships to over 12,000 student recipients, marking a significant increase in both the diversity and coverage of available funding opportunities. The consistent expansion of scholarship schemes each year has become a magnet for talented students from underprivileged backgrounds, assuring them that financial constraints will not hinder their academic aspirations at ITS.
Beyond these scholarship initiatives, ITS has strengthened its long-term commitment to equity in education through the establishment of the ITS Endowment Fund, a self-sustaining financial mechanism designed to support educational activities, research, and community engagement under the Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi framework. The fund’s principal capital is preserved in perpetuity, while the returns are allocated to finance scholarships and other academic support programs.
As of June 2024, the endowment fund had disbursed more than Rp 6 billion in scholarships, marking a substantial increase from Rp 3.895 billion the previous year. These funds directly supported 979 students, representing approximately 15% of the 6,485 newly admitted students in 2024.
The growth of both scholarship and endowment-based support systems illustrates how ITS has institutionalized mechanisms that not only expand access but also ensure long-term financial sustainability. Through these initiatives, ITS has built an inclusive educational ecosystem—one where students from the lowest income quintiles are not only admitted but are also empowered to complete their studies successfully without financial burden.
Supporting 100% Graduation Success for Students from the Lowest Income Groups
ITS is deeply committed to ensuring that every student—especially those from the lowest 20% of household income groups—can not only access higher education but also successfully complete it. To achieve this, ITS integrates academic empowerment programs and comprehensive financial support schemes designed to remove both educational and economic barriers. These efforts are part of the institute’s broader goal to achieve a 100% graduation rate for students from low-income backgrounds.
From the academic side, ITS runs targeted initiatives to strengthen student readiness and completion outcomes. The IKOMA EMAS 2024 Program offers 100% free English language courses for Bidikmisi scholarship recipients and partial assistance for Regular and Mandiri-track students (50% and 25% respectively).
This initiative directly supports graduation readiness by helping students fulfill mandatory TOEFL/IELTS requirements—one of the key conditions for degree completion at ITS. By removing financial and linguistic barriers, this program ensures that talented but economically disadvantaged students can meet the same academic standards as their peers and graduate on time.
Complementing this, ITS provides free academic writing consultation sessions to guide students through their final academic projects, including theses and dissertations. These sessions help students refine logical structure, coherence, and argumentation, enabling smoother progress toward completion. Offered free of charge, the service represents another crucial component of ITS’s support system to ensure that no student’s graduation is delayed due to academic challenges.
Financially, ITS sustains long-term collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology through the Kartu Indonesia Pintar Kuliah (KIP-K) and Higher Education Affirmation (ADIK) scholarships. The KIP-K program guarantees full tuition and living cost coverage for students from low-income families, allowing them to focus entirely on academic achievement. Meanwhile, the ADIK program specifically supports students from Papua, West Papua, and 3T (frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped) regions, providing not only tuition support but also mentorship and community integration to increase persistence and completion rates.
Through this integrated approach—combining academic mentoring, skill development, and robust financial backing—ITS ensures that every student, regardless of their financial background, has the means and capacity to graduate successfully. This holistic model reaffirms ITS’s mission as an inclusive and resilient institution where 100% graduation success for students from the lowest income groups is not just a target, but an institutional standard.
Comprehensive Support System for Low-Income Students at ITS
ITS is deeply committed to ensuring that students from low-income backgrounds have equitable access to, and successfully complete, higher education. This commitment is realized through a comprehensive and multi-faceted support system that integrates financial assistance, housing, academic development, welfare, and health programs—ensuring that financial hardship never becomes a barrier to academic success.
A cornerstone of ITS’s inclusivity effort lies in its extensive scholarship and financial aid ecosystem, which in 2024 consisted of over 70 scholarship schemes supporting more than 12,000 students. These scholarships originate from diverse sources, including government initiatives, industry collaborations, alumni associations, and institutional endowments.
They address a wide spectrum of student needs—from tuition and living expenses to research funding, daily necessities, capacity-building programs, and even study period extensions for students who exceed the standard four-year completion time. This robust system ensures continuous financial and developmental support, allowing students from low-income backgrounds to focus on their studies and graduate on time.
Complementing these scholarships, ITS also provides direct tuition fee relief (UKT/SPP reduction) for vocational and applied undergraduate students who have not yet received other financial support. Formalized through rectoral decrees 7244/IT2.II.1/B/TU.00.02/2023 and 9023/IT2.II.1/B/TU.00.02/V/2024, this initiative helps reduce the risk of dropout and ensures that every student—regardless of financial status—can continue their education without disruption.
To support student welfare, ITS offers affordable and inclusive housing through the Rusunawa dormitory complex, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR). The facility provides low-cost, safe, and accessible accommodation—comprising 50 units housing four students each and two units for students with disabilities—accommodating 204 residents in total. Equipped with shared facilities and CCTV-monitored security, the dormitory helps alleviate the housing shortage at ITS, where only about 1,300 dormitory spots are available for roughly 4,500 new students annually.
In addition, the ITS Writing Center provides free academic writing consultations that equip students with critical thinking and writing skills necessary for research, publication, and thesis completion. Both individual and group sessions are available, led by trained writing tutors who guide students in structuring arguments, developing ideas, and enhancing coherence and clarity in academic writing.
ITS further ensures holistic student support through welfare and health programs. Mudik Gratis ITS 2024, for instance, is a free homecoming transportation initiative conducted in collaboration with the Ikatan Orang Tua Mahasiswa (IKOMA) and the East Java Transportation Agency. In 2024, this program provided 12 buses and minibuses to transport 435 students safely to 38 cities across East and Central Java, offering completely free travel and care packages as appreciation.
Additionally, ITS promotes health and well-being through community initiatives such as Cek Kesehatan, a free health check event organized by Korps Sukarelawan PMI ITS, accessible to all campus members. This program reflects ITS’s attention to physical health as a fundamental aspect of student welfare and academic readiness.
Through these integrated initiatives—spanning financial, academic, housing, health, and welfare support—ITS ensures that students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds can access, persist in, and complete their education successfully. The university’s inclusive approach demonstrates that higher education can remain both equitable and empowering for all learners, regardless of their socioeconomic background.
Comprehensive Support for Students from the Bottom 20% Income Group to Achieve Academic Completion
ITS demonstrates a strong institutional commitment to ensuring that students from the lowest 20% of household income groups can successfully complete their studies through a comprehensive and multi-layered support ecosystem. This system integrates financial, academic, housing, and welfare assistance to remove barriers that could otherwise hinder academic completion and long-term success.
A major cornerstone of this system lies in targeted scholarships that directly support students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Among these, the KIP-K (Kartu Indonesia Pintar Kuliah) and ADik (Afirmasi Pendidikan Tinggi) scholarships are two of the most impactful initiatives.
The KIP-K ITS Scholarship is a government-funded program distributed through ITS to assist students from low-income families who demonstrate strong academic potential. It covers tuition and living expenses, enabling recipients to focus on their studies without financial stress. Complementing this, the ADik Scholarship, initiated by the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education (Kemristekdikti), provides full financial and academic support for students from frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped (3T) regions—especially from Papua and West Papua. For more than ten years, ITS has collaborated closely with the ministry to select 20–30 students annually for the ADik program. Beyond funding, these scholarships include mentorship, academic guidance, and a strong peer support system, ensuring that recipients not only stay enrolled but thrive academically and personally until graduation.
Supporting this financial foundation, ITS provides affordable and inclusive student housing through theRusunawa dormitory complex, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR). This facility offers low-cost, safe, and comfortable accommodation prioritized for financially constrained students. It includes 50 residential units housing four students each, plus two special units for students with disabilities—accommodating a total of 204 residents.
This initiative directly addresses housing insecurity and allows students to focus on their academic goals. Additionally, ITS promotes health and well-being through community programs such as Cek Kesehatan, a free health check event by Korps Sukarelawan PMI ITS, accessible to all campus members.
To strengthen academic performance, ITS implements the IKOMA EMAS 2024 program, offering structured English training to help students—particularly scholarship recipients—fulfill the university’s graduation requirement of English proficiency.
Complementing this, the ITS Writing Center providesfree academic writing consultations to all students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds who may lack access to private tutoring resources. These sessions—available during working hours—offer constructive feedback on thesis, dissertation, or publication drafts, focusing on structure, coherence, and argumentation.
ITS also extends equal access to international exposure programs through the Global Competencies Workshop (GCW) organized by ITS Global Engagement (GE). This free program prepares KIP-K and ADik scholarship recipients for international experiences such as exchanges, internships, and short programs—equipping them with cross-cultural and global competencies that strengthen both confidence and employability.
Beyond academics, ITS ensures student welfare through initiatives like the Mudik Gratis ITS 2024 program, a free homecoming transportation scheme in collaboration with the Ikatan Orang Tua Mahasiswa (IKOMA) and the East Java Transportation Agency. With 12 buses and minibuses deployed to 38 cities across East and Central Java, this initiative provides free and safe transportation for 435 students, ensuring equitable participation in campus and cultural life regardless of economic background.
Through this comprehensive network—spanning targeted scholarships, housing, tuition relief, academic enhancement, international exposure, and welfare support—ITS ensures that financial hardship never impedes student success. These sustained initiatives reflect the university’s firm commitment to inclusivity, enabling students from the lowest income quintiles not only to access higher education but to successfully complete their studies and graduate without financial burden.
Supporting Students from Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries
ITS actively supports students from low- and lower-middle-income countries through several fully funded scholarship schemes, in strong alignment with Indonesia’s national commitment to achieving SDG 1: No Poverty. These initiatives reflect ITS’s role as a strategic partner of the Indonesian Government in providing inclusive, equitable, and affordable higher education for international students from developing nations.
Among the key programs is the Kemitraan Negara Berkembang (KNB) Scholarship, a prestigious Indonesian Government scholarship that provides comprehensive financial assistance—covering tuition fees, living allowance, research and book support, health insurance, visa and immigration fees, and round-trip airfare. ITS, recognized as the Best KNB Host University of the Year 2023, offers this program to postgraduate students from developing countries, fostering academic excellence and cross-cultural understanding.
Additionally, ITS collaborates with the ASEAN University Network (AUN) through the AUN–KNB Scholarship, which enables students from developing nations across Asia, Africa, the Pacific, South America, and Eastern Europe to pursue Master’s degrees at ITS. The program provides free education and full living support, reinforcing people-to-people connections and nurturing future global leaders.
Further expanding access, the Indonesian AID Scholarship supports bachelor’s and master’s degree students—particularly government officials—from developing countries designated as priority partners under Indonesia’s foreign policy. This scholarship covers tuition fees, living and accommodation allowances, international travel, research funding, and publication support, aiming to strengthen international cooperation and public sector leadership capacity.
Complementing these degree programs, ITS also offers the Fun Bahasa Indonesia and Cultural Course (FBICC)—a free program that promotes Indonesian language and culture to global citizens. Since 2020, it has engaged more than 4,000 participants from over 100 countries, furthering cultural diplomacy and inclusivity in international education.
Through these initiatives, ITS reinforces its global mission to eliminate educational inequality, expand access for students from developing nations, and synergize with the government’s vision for sustainable development and poverty reduction through higher education.
Community anti-poverty programmes
Empowering Local Entrepreneurs through Free and Sustainable Start-Up Assistance
ITS actively supports the development of financially and socially sustainable local start-ups and MSMEs through a series of free community empowerment programs, training workshops, and technology-based interventions. These initiatives reflect ITS’s ongoing commitment to advancing inclusive economic growth and strengthening the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
One of the key examples is the collaboration between ITS and PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN) to improve the work standardization of Wonosalam Coffee MSMEs in Jombang. Through direct mentoring by lecturers and students of the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, ITS helped optimize production efficiency — from sorting coffee beans to marketing — by introducing ergonomic workstations and standardized processes that enhance both productivity and worker health.
Similarly, ITS students through KKN Abmas (Community Service Program) have carried out numerous initiatives empowering rural and coastal communities to develop sustainable businesses.
In the TNBTS area, ITS facilitated free training on halal certification and product diversification for local farmer groups, resulting in seven MSMEs successfully obtaining halal certification and improving their branding.
Another project in Pacitan Regency introduced an e-commerce platform and digital marketing training for 12 fish-based MSMEs, enabling them to reach broader markets beyond local regions.
In the creative industry, ITS designed customized jewelry workstations to support small-scale gold and silver artisans in Surabaya, enhancing workspace efficiency and product quality.
Moreover, through a Coaching Clinic for Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes), ITS equipped local entrepreneurs with export knowledge, regulatory understanding, and practical skills to help their products enter global markets.
All these initiatives are offered free of charge as part of ITS’s mission to empower local entrepreneurs, promote innovation, and strengthen the economic resilience of communities through knowledge transfer, mentorship, and technological support. By integrating academic expertise with community needs, ITS continues to serve as a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable local business development.
Strengthening Financial Assistance for Local Start-Ups and Student Entrepreneurs
ITS demonstrates a strong commitment to nurturing financially and socially sustainable start-ups through comprehensive incubation programs and direct financial assistance. These initiatives are designed to foster innovation, economic resilience, and community empowerment.
A key initiative is the Inkubator dan Layanan Bisnis Inovatif (ILBI) ITS, a dedicated platform that provides incubation, mentoring, and funding opportunities for startups founded by students, alumni, and educators. ILBI offers free access to workspaces, laboratories, studios, and consultation sessions, while also connecting startups with investors and industry leaders. To date, more than 130 start-ups have received financial support, with a combined valuation exceeding IDR 60 billion.
Each year, ILBI opens new incubation programs to help early-stage ventures refine their prototypes, expand their networks, and scale their impact. In 2024, ITS, through ILBI, collaborated with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) via the Higher Education for Technology and Innovation (HETI) program, providing financial assistance of IDR 150 million to each of 15 selected start-ups. These start-ups underwent intensive mentoring and coaching from October 2024, culminating in a pitching session before potential investors from the ITS Alumni Entrepreneurs Association (HIPA ITS), banking institutions, and partner business incubators. This collaboration not only provided substantial seed funding but also ensured continued support and incentives for future cohorts of ILBI-assisted start-ups.
Financial assistance at ITS also extends to student entrepreneurship through the Student Creativity Program (PKM), a national funding scheme managed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek). In 2024, ITS secured the second-highest total funding nationally, receiving IDR 1.17 billion for 147 student project teams, including 42 entrepreneurship (PKM-K) proposals. Each funded team receives guidance and supervision from ITS faculty members and dedicated mentoring through communal coaching sessions and PKM camps, ensuring their business ideas are viable and impactful.
Additionally, ITS supports local entrepreneurship through locally funded community innovation programs, such as the FABA Paving Block Training in Sumberejo Village, Probolinggo, organized by the Department of Civil Infrastructure Engineering. This initiative, funded by ITS’s Research and Community Service Directorate (DRPM), helps residents convert industrial waste (Fly Ash and Bottom Ash) into paving blocks — promoting circular economy practices while creating new local job opportunities.
Through these initiatives, ITS not only provides financial support and mentorship but also ensures that local innovators, students, and small enterprises have the resources to develop sustainable businesses that generate both economic and social value for their communities.
Improving Access to Basic Services through Community Empowerment and Technological Innovation
ITS consistently promotes equitable access to essential services through diverse training programs, social initiatives, and technological innovations aimed at improving community well-being. In 2024, ITS organized multiple direct programmes that enhanced access to health, transportation, energy, and digital connectivity—particularly targeting underserved groups.
One of ITS’s direct service programmes was the annual Mudik Gratis ITS 2024, a free homecoming transportation service organized by the Directorate of Student Affairs (Ditmawa). Collaborating with the East Java Department of Transportation and the ITS Student Parents Association (Ikoma), ITS provided 12 vehicles (11 buses and 1 minibus) to facilitate safe travel for 435 students to 38 destinations across 11 routes. This initiative ensured that students could return home for Eid al-Fitr safely and affordably, reflecting ITS’s ongoing commitment to supporting the mobility and welfare of its academic community.
In the healthcare sector, ITS carried out a Mass Circumcision Programme as part of its 64th Anniversary celebration, held at the Faculty of Medicine and Health (FKK). Partnering with RSUD Dr. Soetomo, Universitas Airlangga, and the Surabaya City Government, the program provided free medical services for 99 children, delivered by professional medical teams. This initiative directly improved access to quality healthcare for underprivileged families in Surabaya and its surrounding areas.
Further extending its impact on public health, an ITS Community Service team launched “Si Bunda”, a mobile application for monitoring maternal and child health in Karanganom Village, Trenggalek. The app helps prevent stunting through features such as pregnancy tracking, immunization schedules, child growth monitoring, and online consultations. By digitizing the traditionally manual health record system, the Si Bunda app has made healthcare data management more efficient and accessible for rural families.
In the agricultural sector, ITS also supported access to sustainable energy through the integration of solar panels into irrigation systems for local farmers in Kediri. The initiative reduced dependence on costly fossil fuels by replacing diesel pumps with solar-powered ones, effectively cutting irrigation electricity costs by up to 50 percent. This not only eased farmers’ financial burdens but also served as an educational model for sustainable farming practices.
ITS’s community service programs also addressed access to livelihood and digital infrastructure. A team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering organized a free motorcycle maintenance program for online motorbike drivers, providing vital vehicle servicing such as oil changes, chain adjustments, and brake checks for 75 motorcycles. This program ensured that drivers—who rely heavily on their vehicles for income—could continue working safely and efficiently.
In addition, ITS contributed to bridging the digital divide by establishing internet connectivity in Sedaeng Village, an area located within a blind spot zone near Mount Bromo. Through the installation of repeaters and network devices, the initiative improved internet access for the local government office, nearby schools, and orphanages. This development has significantly enhanced access to digital education, administration, and social services, empowering rural residents to better participate in the digital economy.
Through these initiatives—ranging from free transportation and healthcare access to renewable energy integration and digital inclusion—ITS continues to strengthen community access to basic services, reinforcing its mission to advance inclusive and sustainable development across various sectors.
Policy Collaboration and Knowledge Contribution to End Poverty in All Dimensions
ITS actively contributes to policy formulation and academic collaboration at local, national, and global levels to support poverty reduction and inclusive development. Through research partnerships and international forums, ITS plays a strategic role in providing evidence-based insights and platforms for knowledge exchange to address inequality and promote sustainable growth.
At the regional level, the Center for Regional Potential Studies and Community Empowerment (PDPM) ITS collaborated with the Regional Development Planning, Research, and Innovation Agency (Bappeda Litbang) of Tuban Regency to develop a policy document assessing economic inequality in Tuban. Using the Williamson Index (IW)—which measures regional economic disparity based on Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) and population data—the study revealed a high inequality level of 0.98 in 2022. In 2024, PDPM ITS continued with data validation and analysis to refine Tuban’s 2023 inequality report. The findings are expected to serve as a foundation for evidence-based policymaking that enables the local government to design targeted strategies for equitable development and poverty alleviation.
At the national and global levels, ITS strengthens its academic and policy engagement through international dialogues. One notable effort is hosting The 5th International Conference on Global Development (ICODEV) 2024, themed “Promoting Inclusivity in Development Practices.” The conference serves as a platform for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss inclusive approaches in education, economy, environment, technology, and governance. With keynote speakers from renowned institutions such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), ICODEV reinforces ITS’s commitment to advancing cross-border collaboration in formulating development policies that address social inequality and multidimensional poverty.
Through both its localized policy research initiatives and global academic collaborations, ITS continues to contribute to the implementation of inclusive and data-driven poverty reduction policies, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty in all its forms everywhere.
