PALU — Access to quality higher education is determined not only by academic ability but also by the opportunities available to each region. Starting from this idea, Hasanuddin University (Unhas) and the Central Sulawesi Provincial Government are strengthening the implementation of the Regional Affirmation Pathway, a student admission scheme designed to address human resource development needs in a more targeted way.
The program was one of the main focuses of an Unhas working visit to the Governor’s Office of Central Sulawesi as a follow-up to the memorandum of understanding between the two institutions. Besides discussing education, research, community service, and internship programs, the meeting affirmed that student admission can be part of a regional development strategy.
The Unhas delegation was led by Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs Prof. Muhammad Ruslin, drg., M.Kes., Ph.D., Sp.B.M.Mf., Subsp.Ortognat.D., accompanied by Vice Rector for Partnerships, Internationalization, and Alumni Affairs Prof. Ir. Suharman Hamzah, Ph.D. (Eng)., HSE. Also attending were deans and vice deans from several faculties, representatives of the Graduate School, the Subdirectorate for New Student Admissions, and the Subdirectorate for Domestic Cooperation.
The Unhas delegation was received directly by the Vice Governor of Central Sulawesi, dr. Reny Arniwaty Lamadjido, Sp.PK., M.Kes. The Vice Governor was accompanied by the Head of the Central Sulawesi Provincial Education Office, Drs. Firmanza DP, S.H., M.Si., the Head of the People’s Welfare Bureau, Drs. Rustam Arifudin, M.Si., the Head of the Government and Regional Autonomy Bureau, I Wayan Yudana, A.P., M.Si., and the Head of the Cooperation Division, Mohammad Azir, S.STP., M.Si.
The Head of the Cooperation Division of Parigi Moutong Regency and the Head of the Government Division of Sigi Regency also attended, which showed the regency governments’ active involvement in developing the program.
Unlike regular admission pathways, which are oriented toward national competition, the Regional Affirmation Pathway links student selection to regional development needs. Through this scheme, regional governments can work with universities to prepare human resources in the fields they need, while the university provides educational access according to the capacity of its study programs and its admission policies.
Prof. Muhammad Ruslin explained that the Regional Affirmation Pathway reflects Unhas’s commitment to improving the quality of human resources in Central Sulawesi while supporting the Central Sulawesi Provincial Government’s flagship program, “Berani Cerdas,” which focuses on expanding access to higher education.
In implementation, participants come from regions that have established cooperation with Unhas. The number of students and the choice of study programs are adjusted to regional development needs, the capacity of study programs, and Unhas’s academic policies.
“This approach allows higher education to be more responsive to local development challenges,” said Prof. Ruslin.
Prof. Ir. Suharman Hamzah added that the cooperation does not stop at student admission. The collaboration is also directed at joint research, community service, capacity building for government officials, thematic Community Service Programs (KKN), and student internship programs.
Unhas offers various levels of education, from bachelor’s and applied bachelor’s to master’s, doctoral, and specialist programs. The fields of study available include government, economics, law, health, agriculture, animal science, forestry, marine science and fisheries, engineering, technology, and the social sciences. This range of programs allows regional governments to match their human resource development needs to the development priorities of each region.
Vice Governor of Central Sulawesi dr. Reny Arniwaty Lamadjido welcomed the strengthened cooperation. In the Vice Governor’s view, collaboration with Unhas opens wider opportunities for the people of Central Sulawesi to access higher education while preparing professionals who will contribute to regional development.
To date, Unhas’s cooperation in Central Sulawesi has covered Banggai, Banggai Islands, Banggai Laut, Buol, Donggala, Morowali, North Morowali, and Parigi Moutong regencies. With the Parigi Moutong Regency Government in particular, the collaboration has even grown to include affirmation programs at the doctoral and specialist levels.
The outreach event was also attended by about 30 principals of senior high schools (SMA) and vocational high schools (SMK) from across Central Sulawesi. The involvement of school principals is an important part of spreading information about the Regional Affirmation Pathway to prospective students and communities in various regencies and cities.
Through this partnership-based approach, the Regional Affirmation Pathway shows that student admission policy can serve as more than a selection mechanism. By bringing together regional development needs, Unhas can become a strategic instrument for producing relevant talent, strengthening regional capacity, and reducing disparities in educational access between regions.(*/amr/ir)
Editor: Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.