SERANG – The Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT), Yandri Susanto, urged graduates of Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin State Islamic University (UIN SMH) Banten not to limit their mindsets solely to job seeking. Going a step further, he called on the graduates to create job opportunities in rural areas by maximizing local village potential.

According to him, under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto, villages hold a vital and strategic position, anchored by the 6th Asta Cita (Aspiration): Building from the Village and from the Bottom-Up for Economic Equality and Poverty Eradication. Furthermore, President Prabowo's national priority initiatives directly favor villages, such as the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDMP) program.

To realize the President's 6th Asta Cita, the Ministry translated the directive into the "12 Strategic Actions to Build Villages, Build Indonesia." Through these 12 actions, villages can implement various impactful programs, including Village-Owned Enterprises (BUM Desa), tourism villages, thematic villages, export villages, and more.

"We want UIN Banten students and alumni to actively contribute to these 12 Strategic Actions to Build Villages, Build Indonesia. One notable example is the Export Village program, where we have launched 400 export villages to date, generating transaction volumes approaching Rp1 trillion," Minister Yandri stated while delivering his Scientific Oration at the 2026 UIN SMH Banten Undergraduate and Postgraduate Graduation Ceremony, held at the university's Convention Hall and Business Center on Saturday (August 8, 2026).

Beyond export villages, Kemendes PDT has established numerous tourism villages. He expressed confidence that Banten holds vast untapped potential for pioneer villages to be developed into thriving tourist destinations. Similarly, thematic village concepts—such as layer hen, broiler chicken, tilapia, catfish, corn, shallot, and ginger villages—can be maximized across Banten.

"Therefore, I urged the graduates today not to think solely about looking for a job. Becoming a civil servant (PNS) is commendable, and applying for jobs is perfectly fine. However, we must shift our mindset: a university degree shouldn't just be used to apply for jobs, but to create employment opportunities by actively recruiting workers," Minister Yandri explained.

Minister Yandri detailed that an export village can employ 10 to 15 workers, a BUM Desa can absorb 7 to 10 employees, a Merah Putih Village Cooperative can recruit 7 to 10 people, and a tourism village can create up to 100 jobs.

He emphasized that all these programs have high revenue-generating potential—meeting local needs while remaining export-oriented when managed effectively and properly. To that end, he invited the entire academic community of UIN SMH Banten to integrate the 12 Strategic Actions with the Three Pillars of Higher Education (Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi).

"That is the collaborative offer we extend to UIN Banten's academic community and its graduates. Across Banten's more than 1,200 villages, initiatives like our Green Economy Self-Sufficiency and Integrated Food Security (SEHATI) program, alongside other actions within the 12 Strategic Actions framework, can be seamlessly synergized with UIN Banten's academic mission," Minister Yandri added.

The graduation ceremony also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Kemendes PDT and UIN SMH Banten. The agreement encompasses data and information exchange, education and training for human resource development, scientific and technological research, as well as community empowerment initiatives.

Accompanying Minister Yandri at the event were Secretary-General of Kemendes PDT Taufik Madjid, Director General of Economic Development and Investment (PEID) Tabrani, Director General for Development of Disadvantaged Regions (PPDT) Samsul Widodo, and Head of the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) Agustomi Masik.

Photo: Wening/Kemendes PDT
Text: Rifqi/Kemendes PDT