*JAKARTA* – Hasanuddin University (Unhas) affirmed its commitment to supporting the development of transmigration areas through a science-based approach at the 2026 National Send-Off of the Patriot Expedition, organized by the Ministry of Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia. As one of ten leading universities entrusted as partner institutions, Unhas will contribute to producing scientific recommendations and innovative solutions to strengthen the development of transmigration areas across Indonesia.
The Patriot Expedition is part of the Transmigration Patriot Program, designed as a model of collaboration among government, universities, and communities. Through the involvement of the academic community, the program emphasizes mapping regional potential, identifying local problems, and drafting research-based recommendations to promote more inclusive and sustainable development.
Minister of Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanegara explained that Indonesia’s development must reach all regions, including border areas and other strategic regions. According to the Minister, developing transmigration areas is not enough through providing infrastructure alone; it must also improve the welfare of the people who live there.
“The Patriot Expedition is here to help identify problems in the area, find the right solutions, and ensure that local communities are the main actors who benefit from development. This program is not merely about moving people, but about achieving equitable economic development,” said Iftitah Sulaiman.
The Minister added that the government has partnered with ten leading universities in Indonesia so that every mentoring process has a strong scientific foundation. The universities’ involvement is expected to produce recommendations that can be applied according to the characteristics of each transmigration area.
Representing the Unhas Rector, Deputy Head for Community Service of the Unhas Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) Prof. Ir. Muhammad Arsyad, S.P., M.Si., Ph.D., affirmed that Unhas fully supports the Patriot Expedition Program as part of implementing the tridharma of higher education, particularly community service.
According to Prof. Arsyad, Unhas has deployed 125 people to support the program and is aligning various community service programs with the Patriot Expedition agenda so that the benefits can be felt on an ongoing basis.
“We see the Patriot Expedition as a tangible form of university service. A campus must not only be a center of education and research, but must also deliver real impact for society through solutions to social, economic, and environmental problems,” said Prof. Arsyad.
Prof. Arsyad further explained that Unhas’s contribution to the program has two main focuses. First, helping identify problems in transmigration areas, conducting scientific analysis, and providing alternative policy recommendations to the Ministry of Transmigration. Second, identifying potential villages to be developed as Unhas partner villages (desa binaan) so that mentoring can continue even after the Patriot Expedition series has ended.
According to Prof. Arsyad, this approach is part of an effort to ensure that the results of community service do not stop at mapping problems, but grow into a sustainable community empowerment model that also supports the development of nationally strategic regions.
Earlier, Unhas had already sent off its 2026 Patriot Expedition Team (TEP) on Thursday, 23 July, in the Senate Room on the 2nd floor of the Unhas Rectorate Building. The send-off was led directly by Rector Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc., who affirmed that the Transmigration Patriot Program is a tangible implementation of the Impactful Campus (Kampus Berdampak) vision, namely bringing science to bear as a solution to problems of community development.
Prof. JJ explained that the Patriots will not only carry out community service but will also map regional potential, identify development challenges, and design research-based solutions suited to the characteristics of each area.
“Universities must not be ivory towers that merely produce education and research. Science must be present among the people, become a solution to real problems, and have an impact on regional development,” Prof. JJ stressed.
The 2026 National Send-Off of the Patriot Expedition took place at Balai Kartini, Jakarta, on Thursday, 30 July, and was attended by the Deputy Minister of Transmigration, officials of related ministries, a Deputy of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Commission V of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), and representatives of the ten partner universities. On the occasion, the Ministry of Transmigration sent off 1,427 Patriots who will serve in 53 transmigration areas across Indonesia. (*/tep/mir)
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.