Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), again, develops an interesting innovation. On Wednesday (18/01), UMY officially sent 2,663 students to carry out the Community Service Program (KKN) with various schemes, namely Regular KKN and Cianjur Recovery KKN. Also, UMY sent students to carry out KKN plus Umrah in Jeddah and Mecca. This KKN plus aims to support the education of the Indonesian children who migrated there.
The President of the Muhammadiyah Central Board, Prof. Haedar Nashir, in his remarks also advised that KKN participants could develop great dedication and knowledge in solving existed problems in society. Every student needs to adapt and learn to understand other people’s lives because knowledge and theory in classes certainly will not be enough. “Students who conducted KKN need to understand the community and the realities of life. Of course, knowledge (from classes) is not enough if it is only understood as science. But that knowledge must be able to be implemented in reality and solve human problems. Because solving problems based on knowledge will be different from solving problems with instinct,” the UMY Professor of Sociology emphasized.
Prof. Haedar also advised students to understand society by living together collectively. Because the diversity that exists in society can be strengths and unifying figures for people’s lives. “So your presence wherever you are should be a strength and a unifier, don’t let your presence in different communities cause problems. Adapt to live with the community, explore the traditions, habits and conditions of the local community, as well as learn to be wise in other people’s lives,” Haedar hoped, as reported at the UMY website.
Agung Danarto also encouraged the students to conduct surveys and observe potential developments at their respective locations. It can provide support and inputs to the local government regarding the development of their villages. Especially nowadays, Indonesia’s development paradigm has shifted from urban areas to being intensified in rural areas. “So it can be a good movement for students in supporting the development of both infrastructure and facilities for community development,” he concluded.
