Makassar, September 17, 2025 – Universitas Terbuka (UT) Makassar continues to demonstrate its commitment as a leading higher education institution in providing open and equal access to education for all levels of society. This effort is realized, in part, through a planned collaboration with the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) of Gowa Regency.
The Director of UT Makassar, Prof. Dr. H. Abdul Rahman Rahim, held an audience with the Chairman of the Gowa DPRD, Muh. Ramli Siddik Daeng Rewa, at the DPRD Gowa office on Wednesday (9/17/2025). The meeting was also attended by the Manager of Registration and Marketing of UT Makassar, Dr. Jalil, S.P., M.P., staff member Aguss Alim Ramli, S.H., and the Head of the Hasanuddin Gowa Universitas Terbuka Learning Center (SALUT).
During the audience, both parties discussed a plan for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UT Makassar and the Gowa Regency Government. The main agenda of the collaboration is focused on two strategic programs: Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for village officials and scholarship facilitation for students from Gowa Regency.
The Director of UT Makassar, Prof. Abdul Rahman Rahim, explained that the RPL program is present to provide an opportunity for village officials, especially village heads, to convert their work experience into semester credit units. This way, they can complete their higher education more efficiently without having to leave their duties of serving the community.
“This program opens the way for village heads to continue their education by utilizing their work experience as part of the academic process. The hope is that village officials can more quickly earn a higher education degree while also improving the quality of their village government performance,” said Prof. Rahman.
This step not only expands access to education but also supports the global agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through the RPL program, UT Makassar and the Gowa DPRD are contributing to the realization of SDG 4 (Quality Education) by ensuring inclusive learning opportunities, as well as SDG 16 (Strong Institutions) by strengthening the capacity of village officials as public servants.
In addition to RPL, UT Makassar also offers a scholarship scheme that will be facilitated by the Gowa Regency Government for students from the region. This program is expected to expand public access to open and distance higher education and is also in line with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by opening up college opportunities for more young people from various backgrounds.
The Chairman of the Gowa DPRD, Muh. Ramli Siddik Daeng Rewa, welcomed the UT Makassar initiative. According to him, this collaboration is very important for improving the quality of human resources in the Gowa area, especially at the village level.
“We will oversee the MoU plan so that it is realized soon. The RPL and scholarship programs from UT Makassar are very important for improving the quality of human resources in the villages and also opening up wider access to higher education for the people of Gowa,” said Ramli.
The signing of the MoU between UT Makassar and the Gowa Regency Government is scheduled to take place in the near future. This collaboration is expected to be the starting point for a long-term partnership that not only supports the improvement of educational quality but also strengthens the capacity of village bureaucracy in Gowa Regency.
