Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between UT and the Government of the Regency of Batang Hari

Universitas Terbuka (UT), with its operating region across the whole territory of Indonesia and abroad, puts forward collaboration and partnership scheme in carrying out its business process. The cooperation is formed in order to improve the quality and accessibility of UT’s services. One of the steps is that UT continues to expand its collaboration network with various partners, including, among others, regental governments. The cooperation is performed with the purpose of human resources capacity building in the territory of the partners and the improved implementation of Three Principles of Higher Education Institution (Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi).

Therefore, on Thursday, 2 June 2022, the signing of Memorandum of Understanding of UT and the Government of the Regency of Batang Hari was done. The realization of the cooperation between Universitas Terbuka (UT) and the Government of the Regency of Batang Hari, Jambi Province was marked with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding at Wisma 2 Building, UT’s Head Office.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was executed by UT’s Rector, Prof. Ojat Darojat, M.Bus., Ph.D, and the Regent of Batang Hari, Muhammad Fadhil Arief, S.E. Also present in the occasion were UT’s Vice Rector for Institutional Development and Partnership, Rahmat Budiman, M.Hum., Ph.D., as well as all the Deans and Deputy Deans for Students Affairs and Cooperation. In such opportunity, there were also present, Director of UT-JambI Regional Office, Yasir Riady, M.Hum., Assistant 3 Regional Secretariat, Asri Yonalsyah, A.P., and Head of Education and Culture Office of the Regency of Batang Hari, Zulpadli, S.Pd., M.E.

In his address, UT’s Rector stated that with the cooperation between UT and the Government of the Regency of Batang Hari, it can contribute to realize the fifth pillar of the State Ideology Pancasila in order to provide justice and equality to the entire people of Indonesia. Additionally, UT is also expected to be able to participate in improving the quality and competence of teachers, civil servants, employees, and staff members of the village administration throughout the Regency of Batang Hari. UT’s Rector added that UT offers affordable tuition fees for education and more straightforward learning programs. As a consequence, it is expected that it would attract the people of the Regency of Batang Hari to pursue their higher education.

Further, the Regent of Batang Hari, Muhammad Fadhil Arief, S.E, stated that the collaboration with UT will focus on the competitive human resources (SDM) development. It mainly emphasizes the competence of the teachers’ education throughout the Regency of Batang Hari which is thought to be inadequate. In addition, with the change of policy and regulation of the Regent which now requires the Village Chiefs to hold bachelor’s degree, then it forces the Civil Servants or Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN) in the Regency of Batang Hari to continue their education to university. Fadhil added that 85 percent of the people of the Regency of Batang Hari are farmers who do not have access to higher education. Hence, he hopes that with its collaboration with UT, its farmers and their children in the Regency of Batang Hari may pursue their education further and still be able to undertake their farming activities. This move is also supported by the government of the Regency of Batang Hari that will provide the scholarship for its people who wish to pursue their education at Universitas Terbuka.

The meeting of the UT’s senior executive officers and the Government of the Regency of Batang Hari was closed with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and joint photo session. It is expected that the collaboration of both parties would improve the education quality in Indonesia, particularly in the Regency of Batang Hari Province Jambi.