FAKFAK – The arrival of 120 members of the Hasanuddin University (Unhas) Patriot Expedition Team (TEP) in Weri village, East Fakfak District, marks the start of an effort to bring science closer to the community. Over the next four months, the team will conduct research, studies, community service, and mentoring to map potential and formulate science-based solutions for developing the Weri-Saharei area.
The group, led by Unhas TEP Manager Abdullah Sanusi, Ph.D., consists of 20 lecturers serving as team leaders and 100 members from various universities across Indonesia. They were welcomed by the communities of Weri and Saharei villages with a traditional dance, together with East Fakfak District Head Gani Samai, SE, village heads, the sub-district police chief, the sub-district military commander, and traditional leaders.
For Abdullah Sanusi and fellow lecturers, the expedition offers a scientific approach grounded in the community’s needs. According to Sanusi, the multidisciplinary expertise the lecturers bring allows the area’s potential to be understood from many perspectives, so that the solutions produced are more comprehensive and sustainable.
“We have come not only with programs, but also with expertise from various disciplines. Over four months, we want to learn together with the community, explore the potential of Weri-Saharei, understand the problems that exist, and look for solutions that can be developed sustainably,” Abdullah said.
One focus of the study is the potential of nutmeg as a leading commodity of Fakfak Regency. The Unhas team will study opportunities to increase added value through downstreaming, technology, and even the use of solar energy to support community activities and the processing of plantation products. In addition, fisheries, agriculture, forestry, and the coastal economy are also part of the research to be developed together with the community.
East Fakfak District Head Gani Samai, SE hopes that collaboration with the university can strengthen community capacity while producing recommendations that benefit the area’s development.
The 2026 TEP program, initiated by the Ministry of Transmigration, is designed to turn transmigration areas into laboratories for development based on local potential. In Weri-Saharei, the community is not only a beneficiary but also a partner in producing knowledge and innovation that can be applied to improve welfare.
The community’s warm welcome on the first day marks the beginning of collaboration between academia and the community. From the Tamalanrea Campus to Weri village, the journey of the Unhas Patriot Expedition Team carries one goal: to make research the foundation of development that grows from local potential. The Unhas Patriot Expedition Team officially arrived in Weri village, East Fakfak District, Fakfak Regency, West Papua, on Monday (3 August 2026).(*/tep)
Editor: Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.