MAKASSAR – The Ministry of Transmigration is urging Hasanuddin University (Unhas) to expand the role of higher education in developing transmigration areas through satellite campuses. The idea is aimed at bringing higher education access closer to communities while delivering research, innovation, and community service in regions with limited access to education, particularly transmigration areas in Eastern Indonesia.
The idea was delivered by Minister of Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara at the Unhas Campus Life Orientation for New Students (PKKMB) at the JK Arenatorium Sports Hall (GOR) on Tuesday (11 August). Iftitah explained that the paradigm of transmigration needs to shift from merely relocating people toward developing areas capable of creating new growth centers.
According to Iftitah, universities are considered to hold a strategic position in this change because they can bring knowledge, technology, and community capacity building on a sustainable basis. Iftitah regards Unhas as holding a strategic position as a center of excellence in Eastern Indonesia.
Unhas’s presence in transmigration areas can bring academic strength together with real problems on the ground, from mapping regional potential and developing technology to strengthening local economies and building human resource capacity. Satellite campuses can serve as places of education and as hubs of research and innovation directly connected to community needs.
“I see an extraordinary spirit in Unhas as the epicenter in Eastern Indonesia, wanting to build so that this region is not left behind by Western Indonesia. The only key is to bring outstanding human resources to every corner of Indonesia,” said Iftitah.
Strengthening local human resources is also tied to the ability of communities and the state to manage natural potential and wealth independently. Limited community capacity in some remote areas can open gaps for outside parties to exploit resources, including through activities that do not comply with regulations. For this reason, the government and the education sector share a responsibility to ensure that communities have the knowledge and skills to manage their own regions’ potential.
“The world of education provides more fishing rods than fish. Because with a rod, people can keep searching, developing, and creating their own lives,” Iftitah added.
Education is a long-term investment that equips communities with the ability to create their own livelihoods, rather than only receiving aid. This concept can already be seen in the Patriot Transmigration program.
The collaboration between the Ministry of Transmigration and Unhas is expected to grow into long-term cooperation in producing outstanding human resources in transmigration areas. Through satellite campuses, higher education can be present closer to communities, while real problems on the ground become a space for research and innovation.
Besides the Minister of Transmigration, Unhas PKKMB 2026 also featured several prominent figures as resource persons, including the South Sulawesi Regional Police Chief and the Commander of Kodam XIV/Hasanuddin, who provided briefings on national defense awareness.
Unhas PKKMB 2026 is part of the process of introducing new students to the academic environment and a space to broaden their perspectives on Indonesia’s development challenges. The event is aimed at connecting academic knowledge with community needs and national development. (*/mir)
Editor: Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.