Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Higher Education, Science, and Technology Ministry has moved to consolidate university capacity and resources to support East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) communities affected by the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck on Aug. 15.
Minister Brian Yuliarto highlighted the Student-Led Community Learning and Empowerment Initiatives (Aksara Mahasiswa) movement during a visit to quake-hit Manggarai District, NTT, on Wednesday (Aug. 26).
“We aim for consolidation while looking into data to ensure that all the programs we plan are better aligned with the actual needs on the ground,” Yuliarto noted in a statement cited in Jakarta on Friday.
He emphasized Aksara Mahasiswa during a discussion with representatives from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the Manggarai government, university leaders, lecturers, and students.
The discussion touched on the urgent needs of survivors, such as safe water, electricity, health services, psychological support, and trauma recovery.
Yuliarto expressed confidence that universities have the capacity to respond to these needs through their varied expertise in health, psychology, engineering, education, disaster mitigation, and community empowerment.
“Through Aksara Mahasiswa, we seek to synergize all the strengths of universities to enable targeted, coordinated, and sustainable distribution of assistance,” the minister added.
He further underscored the consolidation as an effort to facilitate universities from outside NTT in channeling relief supplies and mounting recovery initiatives for affected communities.
“Hopefully, this activity will help students and universities outside NTT make their programs more impactful, effective, and efficient, enabling us all to accelerate recovery measures,” Yuliarto concluded.
The Aksara Mahasiswa movement in NTT forms part of the ministry’s pivot toward impact-oriented policies and programs, encouraging tertiary education institutions to link their scientific capacity, expertise, and resources to the real needs of communities.
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Translator: Sean Filo, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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