ITS Chancellor Prof Dr. Ir Mochamad Ashari MEng (center) was also present to witness the signing of the Cooperation Agreement with the Ministry of Villages

ITS Campus, ITS News – Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) again intensifies cooperation to develop community empowerment, especially in rural communities. This was realized through the signing of a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) between ITS and the Village Development and Information Agency, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration at the ITS Rectorate Building, Wednesday (30/3).

Present at the signing ceremony were the Head of the Village Development and Information Agency, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration along with the Secretary of the Agency, the Head of the Village Competitiveness Development Center, the Head of the Village Development Policy Development Center, the Head of the Center for Compiling the Integrated Village Development Plan, and the Head of the Village Development and Information Center.

The Head of the Village Development and Information Agency, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Dr. Ivanovich Agusta SP MSi said that through collaboration with ITS, especially in the field of Village Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he was able to assist the Ministry of Villages in developing village technology. One example is obtaining Intellectual Property Rights (HaKI) for village inventions.

The man who is familiarly called Ivan said that in the village there is a lot of knowledge and innovation that has not yet been certified. This causes the distribution of technology in the village has not been evenly distributed so many villages are still underdeveloped. “Therefore, through ITS we are greatly helped to get IPR,” said Ivan.

Head of Development and Information Agency for Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Dr. Ivanovich Agusta SP MSi (right) with ITS Vice-Chancellor IV Bambang Pramujati ST MSc Eng PhD

Ivan explained that the advantages of working with universities, especially ITS, are because they have advanced technology and innovation development so they are easy to apply to the wider community. “The application is like the Real Work Lecture (KKN) carried out by students,” he said.

ITS Vice-Chancellor IV Bambang Pramujati ST MSc Eng Ph.D. said that through this collaboration ITS will utilize existing data and technology to develop formulas and indicators to measure the achievement of Village SDGs. In addition, ITS also makes village empowerment strategies so that village innovation and development can run well.

Photo with the ranks of ITS leadership and the leadership of the Ministry of Villages after the signing of the Cooperation Agreement at the ITS Rectorate Building

Furthermore, the ITS Mechanical Engineering Department lecturer said that after finding a formulation with indicators of achieving the Village SDGs, an evaluation would be carried out to determine appropriate innovations and solutions so that they could be applied to the village. “So that village development can be carried out properly,” he said.

It is hoped that through this collaboration programs can be formed to help empower villages such as planning and administration so that there are no more backward villages. “I believe that through this collaboration, ITS is very capable of helping empower villages,” said Bambang optimistically. (ITS Public Relation/far)

Reporter: Regy Zaid Zakaria