Realizing the Kampus Berdampak Initiative, UNU Jogja’s PKKMB Promotes SDGs with Residents of Dowangan and Kaliabu, Sleman, Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta, Indonesia - Efforts to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) face increasingly complex challenges, particularly in addressing the climate crisis and environmental issues. Indonesia has set a target for the forestry and land-use sector to achieve net sink status. Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 agenda pursues this target through various strategies, including tree planting, reducing deforestation and forest degradation, forest and land rehabilitation, peatland restoration, mangrove protection, and increasing carbon stocks.

This target encourages Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja) to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the university level, UNU Jogja prioritizes SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), while also supporting the SDGs mandated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, namely SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). These efforts have been introduced to students from the beginning of the New Student Campus Life Orientation Program (PKKMB).

Through PKKMB, which is organized under the Gebyar Orientasi dan Unjuk Ekspresi (GENIUS) program, UNU Jogja engages new students directly with local communities to learn alongside residents, promote the SDGs, and plant tree seedlings in Dowangan and Kaliabu, Banyuraden, Gamping District, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, on Thursday, September 24.

The agenda is aligned with the transformative policy direction of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology through the Kampus Berdampak initiative. Kampus Berdampak encourages higher education institutions to move beyond an orientation focused solely on rankings, citations, and graduates toward becoming agents of meaningful change for society, the economy, and the environment.

Field Coordinator and Director of the Directorate of Community Service and Labsos at UNU Jogja, Joko Susilo, said the agenda is part of the learning process for new UNU Jogja students to become Impact-Oriented Students and engage with real issues faced by communities, particularly environmental issues that have become a global challenge and one of UNU Jogja’s priority areas for SDG contributions.

According to him, the activity demonstrates that campus orientation is not limited to educational administration and classroom-based learning, but is also realized through concrete actions that provide direct benefits to communities and the environment.

In line with this, UNU Jogja Executive Secretary Suharti said the tree-planting activity is closely related to UNU Jogja’s commitment to contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), which is part of UNU Jogja’s key performance indicators as outlined in the UNU Jogja Strategic Plan for 2026–2030.

She added that the activity also translates UNU Jogja’s social mandate into action. She explained that UNU Jogja’s vision is to become an excellent and globally competitive university in the development of science and technology based on Ahlussunnah An-Nahdliyah values for the benefit of society.

“Pursuing the common good requires a learning approach that addresses concrete problems in society, including efforts to preserve the environment. Environmental issues have become global concerns that seriously affect life on our planet. Therefore, higher education institutions are expected to contribute through the implementation of the three pillars of higher education. Through this activity, we hope students become familiar with SDG issues from an early stage, enabling them to develop greater sensitivity to the challenges faced by communities,” she said.

The GENIUS session, titled Social Impact and Community Service, featured an introduction to Kampus Berdampak, SDG education, dialogue with residents, as well as the distribution and planting of seedlings together with the community.

After engaging in dialogue with residents and exploring the neighborhood while learning about the 17 SDGs, students joined local residents in planting tree seedlings. A total of 250 tree and plant seedlings were planted and distributed to residents, consisting of fruit trees, plants that support soil and water conservation, and ornamental plants.

“We selected three types of seedlings, including fruit trees, trees that can help retain water and soil, and ornamental plants. We brought the ornamental plants to distribute to residents around the site while also using them as an educational medium to encourage residents to make better use of their yards through planting,” said Hilman, one of the student committee members.

Chairman of Community Unit (RW) 16 of Dowangan, Handoko Pamungkas, A.Md., welcomed the program. He said the initiative was a positive starting point for new students and local residents to work together in improving the environment. He also encouraged students to remain focused on their educational goals while studying in Yogyakarta.

“We greatly appreciate all forms of UNU Jogja campus activities that involve local residents, particularly environmental programs. As parents, we hope the students have a smooth learning process in Yogyakarta,” he said after the handover of tree seedlings at the RW 16 community hall in Dowangan.

Reporter: Latifah