Realizing Sustainable Regional Development, IPB University and Kukar Regency Government Sign MoU on Precision Village Data
In realizing the synergy of the tri dharma of higher education with sustainable regional development planning, IPB University and the District Government (Pemkab) of Kutai Kartanegara (Kukar), East Kalimantan Province signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Precision Village Data (DDP) program. The cooperation was held at IPB Rectorate Building, IPB Dramaga Campus, on 29/2.
The signing of the cooperation was attended by the Vice Rector for Global Connectivity, Collaboration, and Alumni Relations, Prof Iskandar Zulkarnaen Siregar, the Dean of the Faculty of Human Ecology of IPB University as well as the initiator of DDP, Dr. Sofyan Sjaf, the Regional Secretary of Kutai Kartanegara Regency, Sunggono, the Chief of the Community and Village Empowerment Office (PMD), and the Acting Chief of the Regional Revenue Agency (Bapenda) of Kukar Regency.
Prof Iskandar Z Siregar, in his speech stated that in this momentum, he really welcomed the cooperation carried out by the Kukar Regency Government with IPB University.
“Nowadays innovation is very important, if every district or city is economically advanced, of course the country will also advance. Moreover, the Capital City of the Archipelago (IKN) has begun to operate, Kukar district can be a buffer zone to encourage the progress of the capital city,” he explained.
Furthermore, Prof Iskandar also added that Kukar district will also be the center of growth for various kinds of economic activities and everything starts with data, because if the village data is good, the planning will also be good.
“IPB University has touched approximately 6.1 percent of villages in Indonesia through various programs. Therefore, we can collaborate with various parties, especially in the East Kalimantan region. In addition, there are many of our alumni in various regions that we can synergize with prioritized activities,” he said.
On the same occasion, Secretary Sunggono revealed that the commitment of the cooperation plan between the Kukar Regency Government and IPB University was a form of desire in order to increase capacity and capability in the field of development, especially cooperation. In addition, Kukar is an IKN buffer delineation area.
“This cooperation plan is very linear with the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) of Kukar Regency, including related to agriculture. In the RPJMD we have tasks including achieving the downstreaming of agricultural products. We realize that this large budget cannot always be obtained because of the very high dependence on oil and gas,” he explained.
Secretary Sunggono added that specifically in the RPJMD of Kukar Regency there is an economic transformation, namely dependence on raw materials switching to three major development priorities, namely agriculture, tourism and the creative economy.
“These three fields are linear with the cooperation that we have just implemented related to village data. In the near future we will realize this cooperation. Hopefully through the signing of this cooperation commitment, we can realize the hopes of the Kukar Regency Government together,” he concluded. (*/Lp) (IAAS/RSL)
