Research, Service and Collaboration

The Directorate of Research, Technology, and Community Service (DRTPM) in collaboration with Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) held a Monitoring and Evaluation (Monev) activity for the 2024 Community Service Program Budget Year in East Java Province on Friday and Saturday, November 8–9, 2024.

The monitoring and evaluation activities were conducted over two days. The first day took place at Rayz UMM Hotel Malang, involving 108 participants. On the second day, the activities continued with field visits to community service project sites located across Malang City, Malang Regency, Batu City, Pasuruan Regency, and Madiun Regency.

In his opening remarks, M. Salis Yuniardi, Ph.D., Vice Rector IV of UMM, emphasized that community service is often considered less important than research. However, he described this as a misunderstanding, as community service holds strategic value and is an integral part of the university's Tri Dharma (three pillars of higher education). He encouraged faculty members not to undervalue the importance of community service.

"Community service is essentially the implementation of research outputs, including products, patents, and prototypes, which should benefit the community," he stated.

Meanwhile, DRTPM's Community Service Coordinator, Lutfi Ilham Ramadhani, expressed his appreciation for the 3,800 proposals funded by DRTPM this year. He echoed Vice Rector IV’s perspective, agreeing that community service is on par with research and serves as a direct solution to societal problems. Community service enables practitioners to engage directly with and contribute to society.

"The focus of this Monev activity is not about publication but rather the level of benefit it provides to the community. I also support UMM in fostering collaboration between research and community service," he added.

The monitoring and evaluation (Monev) process aims to oversee and assess the implementation of community service programs. Progress reports submitted by the implementers serve as the basis for evaluation. DRTPM, along with assessment committees and reviewers, conducted direct discussions on the progress of the community service activities. These discussions involved implementing teams, targeted community groups, government partners, and students participating in the program.

Through community service programs, it is hoped that solutions to various societal challenges can be discovered, while simultaneously supporting national competitiveness and improving public welfare in a structured and sustainable manner. (red/dik)