Disseminating the results of research is one of UT missions in its commitment to enlighten the nation. Sharing knowledge is an obligation of an educational institution. With the spirit of disseminating and sharing knowledge, UT has the idea that the next generation of the nation should be independent, resilient, and creative. As an initiation towards realizing this idea, academic seminars are regularly held, and one of them is the event organization of ‘Seminar Nasional Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Universitas Terbuka’ (SENMASTER) and the Exhibition of Community Service Results in 2023.
SENMASTER 2023 adopts the theme “Empowering Society to Improve Quality of Life Towards Indonesia Emas 2045.” This seminar and exhibition are conducted in a hybrid format, with offline participants at UTCC, the UT Central Office in Pondok Cabe, and online participants from UPBJJ-UT throughout Indonesia. The event also features the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Republic of Indonesia, represented by Prahoro Yulijanto Nurtjahyo, Ph.D. (Head of the Human Resources Development Agency, Energy and Mineral Resources), and the Vice Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia, 2011-2014/Chairman of the Indonesia Halal Lifestyle Center, Prof. Dr. H. Sapta Nirwandar S.E., DESS., as Keynote Speakers.
In addition to the Keynote Speakers, SENMASTER this time also invites four main speakers with expertise in relevant fields to the event theme. Dr. Ari Setiawan, M.Pd., Vice Rector III for Student Affairs and Alumni at Universitas Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa Yogyakarta, Haji Chaerudin alias Babeh Idin – Guardian Champion of Pesanggrahan River, Britania Sari – Activist for Community and Environmental Empowerment, and Mrs. Trini Prastati – UT lecturer and community empowerment practitioner. Vice Rectors and Deans also participate in this event.
The event begins with a report from the Chair of the Committee, Dr. Heriani, S.IP., M.A., expressing the university obligation to empower society as one of ‘Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi.’ “Community Service as one of Tri Dharma functions of Higher Education is the downstream of research conducted by lecturers and students, as well as the results of needs analysis and problems from community service partners,” said Mrs. Heriani. The results of these activities need to be socialized to the public, hence the need for seminars and exhibitions of community service results. Therefore, Universitas Terbuka through SENMASTER 2023 hopes to inspire the realization of Indonesia Emas 2045 with an intelligent, characterful, superior, competitive, and prosperous society.
Next in her speech, the Chair of Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat (LPPM) at UT, Prof. Dewi Artati Padmo Putri, M.A., Ph.D., expresses gratitude to the Keynote Speakers and Speakers who have agreed to attend SENMASTER 2023. She mentions that there are 113 paper presenters in this event, consisting of 31 presenters from central UT, 36 presenters from various UT regions, 3 presenters from students, and 43 presenters from other institutions and universities. The Exhibition of Community Service Results presents 40 booths showcasing community service products, the result of work from UT academic community, students, and society who are community service partners, divided into 4 categories: Culinary, Fashion, Tools/Technology, and Environment. “We strive for SENMASTER and the Exhibition of Results as part of Universitas Terbuka Higher Education Tri Dharma activities to continue in the coming years even better. Finally, I express my thanks to the committee that has prepared this event,” concluded Prof. Dewi.
The last speech was delivered by the Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Business, and Cooperation at UT, Rahmat Budiman, M.Hum., Ph.D., representing the UT Rector. He states that, in carrying out ‘Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi’ especially the third pillar namely ‘Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat’ (Abdimas), UT always strives to get closer to the needs of the community for sustainable development. Moreover, the implementation of research results directly applicable to the community is also the focus of UT attention. This effort is manifested in the agenda of the 2023 Senmaster and Exhibition of Results.
He concludes by mentioning the implementation of the development of international community service activities. In the first phase, the focus is on communities in countries directly bordering Indonesia, such as Timor Leste or Malaysia. The process undertaken has certainly gone through a needs analysis. The hope is that UT can contribute thoughts, ideas, solutions, or innovative ideas that can be implemented based on the needs truly desired by the community. By the conclusion of his speech, Mr. Rahmat Budiman officially opens SENMASTER and the Exhibition of Community Service Results in 2023.
After the official opening, the first Keynote Speaker, Prahoro Yulijanto Nurtjahyo, Ph.D., Head of the Human Resources Development Agency, Energy and Mineral Resources, takes the opportunity to present his presentation. In his presentation, Prahoro Yulijanto states that there are still many untapped potentials in the oil and gas, coal, and mineral sectors, so Indonesia has not maximized its natural resources. He also talks about clean energy, which is currently utilized at less than 1%. Therefore, the Head of BPSDM ESDM emphasizes the need for the development of competent human resources to maximize the potential of the energy sector.
According to Mr. Prahoro, Indonesia natural resource potential is a significant opportunity, but it also needs to be cautious if not accompanied by the right human resources. “We must be aware that with such natural resource potential, if we don’t handle it well, external parties will do it,” he concludes. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources always conducts training and certification to provide the best service to the country. Moreover, this training and certification are also utilized as a source to support human resources in the field of Energy and Natural Resources. Various training in utilizing natural resources is also launched by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources so that the community can independently process various natural resources in their environment.
Next, the presentation is continued by the second Keynote Speaker, Vice Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy RI, 2011-2014/Chairman of Indonesia Halal Lifestyle Center Prof. Dr. H. Sapta Nirwandar S.E., DESS. He states that the key to Indonesia Emas 2045 is skilled human resources who master technology. He appreciates UT for pioneering the use of technology in learning and teaching. Prof. Sapta emphasizes that currently, the workforce is dominated by Millennials, Generation Z, and even Alpha Generation. “In the future, workers must be able to and will work anywhere, anytime, through various devices, and focus on adding value and mastering entrepreneurship.”
He also formulates that the tourism sector can be a potential sector alongside the energy sector. “Multidimensional tourism work, ranging from IT to those relying solely on a smile, makes it a sector with broad coverage,” says Prof. Sapta. According to him, tourism is no longer a necessity but has become a lifestyle. Therefore, Prof. Sapta emphasizes the importance of tourism because it has widespread and multiplier effects. Finally, as the Chairman of the Indonesia Halal Lifestyle Center, he shares various views on the Global Halal Industry. The halal industry has become a popular sector not only in Indonesia but globally. Halal Tourism has even become a new trend that attracts the interest of people worldwide.
The event continued with the presentations of the three speakers. The first presentation was delivered by Dr. Ari Setiawan, M.Pd., with the theme “Cultural and Environmental-Based Village PKM & International PKM,” which discussed the potential of cultural and environmental-based village tourism in Indonesia. The second speaker, Haji Chaerudin alias Babeh Idin, presented his material on “Sanggar Buana Farmer Group” located in Pesanggrahan River. The third speaker, Britania Sari, presented her material on “Building Food Resilience from Backyards.” The last speaker, UT lecturer Trini Prastati, who is also a community empowerment practitioner, shares her experience and knowledge packaged under the theme “Beautiful Journey of UT Abdimas in Partnership with the Community.” This session ended with the presentation of certificates, souvenirs, and a group photo session. The SENMASTER 2023 event concluded with Parallel Sessions featuring research and community service product presentations conducted by UT and several awards for Best Paper, Best Poster, and Best Gallery Stand.
In the future, Senmaster and the Exhibition of Results, as one form of downstreaming research and innovation results from the academic community of UT, will continue to promote the development of various community empowerment programs through UMK, improving welfare, health, education, and more. Finally, UT, as an educational institution, will continue to inspire efforts for the development of an intelligent, characterful, and prosperous society to realize Indonesia Emas 2045.
