SOUTH TANGERANG – The Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT), Yandri Susanto, urged newly enrolled students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta (UMJ) to pursue entrepreneurship and utilize their university years to conduct research on high-potential rural commodities.

He highlighted that the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Kemendes PDT) has secured supply channels to 49 export destination countries through its Export Village (Desa Ekspor) program. He expressed strong hope that students will look beyond academic theory and actively engage with rural communities to develop and manage local resources.

"Do not be afraid to dream big. Even if you come from an urban background, you can build thriving businesses in rural areas. Become entrepreneurs, as we have established pathways to 49 export destinations. Overseas markets urgently require commodities like chili peppers, lemongrass, shallots, and various agricultural produce," Minister Yandri stated as the keynote speaker during the Campus Life Orientation for New Students (PKKMB) at Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta (UMJ), in Ciputat, South Tangerang, Banten, on Monday (September 21, 2026).

Furthermore, Minister Yandri critiqued the passive routine common among university students who limit themselves solely to classroom activities without actively participating in student organizations or extracurricular initiatives on and off campus.

He advised freshmen to cultivate leadership skills early in their academic journey, noting that higher education serves as the premier platform to build capacity before stepping into national leadership roles in the future.

"I want to broaden your horizons. Do not fall into a passive routine of just going between lectures and your dorms. Do not settle for being ordinary students. I am confident that among you sitting here today are future cabinet ministers and provincial governors," Minister Yandri emphasized.

Reflecting on his personal journey, Minister Yandri shared his background growing up in a farming family in a rural village with severely limited public infrastructure. He noted that these hardships only served to strengthen his resolve to excel during his university years.

Despite growing up amid underdeveloped infrastructure, he chose to confront his circumstances, asserting that one's humble beginnings do not dictate their ultimate trajectory in life.

"I am the son of a farmer, and my mother never completed elementary school. They cultivated rice and coffee. Electricity only reached my village in 2002, and mobile cellular signals were only accessible in 2015. You can imagine the state of my village. But did that discourage me? Not at all. I believe that our future depends on our own determination, by the grace of God," he explained.

"Therefore, never surrender to whatever challenging circumstances you currently face," he concluded.

Accompanying Minister Yandri at the event were Secretary-General of Kemendes PDT Taufik Madjid, Head of BPSDM Agustomi Masik, Head of BPI Mulyadin Malik, and Special Staff to the Minister Khoirul Huda.

Photo: Wening/Kemendes PDT 
Text: Dayat/Kemendes PDT