Since the first year Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, launched Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka, UTS had the initiative to implement the program. UTS was enthusiastic about encouraging students to learn outside of the classroom.
UTS successfully held MBKM Fest 2024 on 21/01/2024 at the Catholic Hall, Sumbawa. MBKM Fest 2024 ends various UTS Merdeka Learning Campus (MBKM) programs in the ongoing semester. This event took place lively by presenting various products and innovations that had been produced by UTS Young Eagle Students through 6 main MBKM UTS programs, namely, MERDEKA Program, EUREKA, UTS Teaching, Student Exchange, UTS Preneurship, UTS Teaching, and Internship & Independent. This activity was carried out in 2 sessions, morning to noon, and afternoon to evening.
UTS Rector Chairul Hudaya, Ph.D.
in his speech, he explained the impacts of the MBKM program on students and the community. “The implementation of MBKM can improve the quality of UTS graduates, in terms of hard and soft skills, UTS’s MBKM programs prepare the UTS graduates to be more prepared based on their needs. Furthermore, this program provides the graduates to be the next future leaders. Hopefully, the various products and innovations produced by our students can provide benefits and solutions for the community.”
On this occasion, the achievements of the UTS MBKM were achieved from 2020 to 2023. Merdeka Program is one of the programs designed to assist the development of rural communities as a real contribution of UTS in community service activities. Through this program, the students learn to grow in society, explore the potential of the village, initiate change, and learn to solve complex problems within the community. There were 1991 students involved, 115 Popular Articles published, 134 Video documentation released, 108 Villages of Cooperation Partners participated, 134 Final Reports submitted, 3 Intellectual Property Rights issued, 377 Innovation Products made, and 16 Prototypes shown in the programs.
UTS Internship and Independent Study are the other programs that accommodate the students in honing their soft and hard skills in terms of internships or independent studies. The achievements of the Internship and Independent study program consist of 306 Students participating. Also, there are 320 Popular Articles, 171 Cooperation Partners, 306 Final Reports, and 306 Video Documentations resulting trough these programs.
The EUREKA (Existence of Independent Research and Innovation) program is developed to accommodate the students’ interests in conducting research and the students who want to pursue a career as a researcher or academic staff. It is the same as the other programs mentioned above, UTS has 2 prototype machines, 4 popular articles, 9 video documentation, and 9 final reports. Furthermore, 9 students are involved in the programs.
The other program of MBKM is UTS Mengajar. It is an independent program aiming to provide opportunities for UTS students to learn outside campus to improve their soft skills, expand collaboration, and increase their understanding of education. 327 students joined the program, 40 collaborating partners, 40 popular articles published, 40 video documentations, and 40 final reports.
28 students of UTS chose to be involved in the Preneurship program which encourages and accommodates them to develop their entrepreneurial interests in a guided manner. Through UTS Preneurship, the students are expected to be able to innovate and contribute to creating a creative economy in Eastern Indonesia. By implementing this program, UTS succeeded in collaborating with 3 external partners and published 3 academic articles. Also, the students who joined this program had submitted 17 final reports and 9 videos of documentation and establishment of 18 business fields.
Merdeka Student Exchange (PMM). MBKM Flagship and Independent programs allow students to study at other universities in Indonesia (PTS / PTTN). PMM provides opportunities for students to increase competence, and insight into cultural diversity and build networks of cooperation between universities. With achievements, 18 Number of Students Involved, 8 Number Cooperation Partners, 8 Popular Articles, and 3 Video Documentations.
The MBKM Fest 2024 activity was also held in the framework of the 65th Anniversary of Sumbawa Regency which falls on 22/01/2024. Also present representing the Regent of Sumbawa on the occasion was Lalu Suharmaji Kertawijaya, ST as Assistant for Economic and Development of the Regional Secretariat. Hundreds of visitors crowded the venue, many of whom tried and bought various products on display at this event.
