Academic: Universities Play Key Role in Strengthening Free Nutritious Meal Programme Governance

A lecturer from the Faculty of Law at the University of Jember (FH Unej) and Chairman of the Jember ICMI Expert Council, Dr Aries Harianto, stated that universities have a crucial role in strengthening the governance of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme through a scientific and multidisciplinary approach. “Higher education institutions must not be passive towards the implementation of the MBG programme, but they should not take on the role of food service operators, which falls outside the primary mandate of universities,” he said in Jember Regency, East Java, on Wednesday. According to him, universities must maintain their dignity as institutions that generate ideas, centres for scientific development, and guardians of public critical reasoning, given their core functions of education, research, and community service. Several universities have expressed critical views on the idea of campuses managing Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) due to concerns including the potential erosion of academic independence, increased administrative burdens, and a shift in focus from academic activities to operational tasks that drain energy and resources. “The function of social and academic oversight is an essential part of higher education’s contribution to national development. Campuses must retain sufficient space to conduct studies, offer constructive criticism, and propose solutions to various public issues,” he said. Aries explained that numerous aspects still require serious attention, ranging from food safety standards, sanitation, food ingredient quality, distribution governance, supervisory systems, human resource competencies, to legal accountability mechanisms should problems arise in the field. “That is where the true space for higher education contribution lies. Universities can conduct research, formulate policy recommendations, carry out programme evaluations, prepare risk mitigation systems, and provide legal and social assistance if needed. Campuses serve as knowledge-based partners, not as operational executors,” he stated. He said universities must remain a home for the birth of grand ideas, innovation, and solutions to national problems. The energy that should be used to strengthen the quality of education and research must not be absorbed by activities outside the core duties of higher education. The success of the MBG Programme is determined not only by the number of kitchens or service units established, but also by the quality of governance, transparency, accountability, and the effectiveness of oversight. Therefore, the involvement of higher education institutions would be more appropriate if focused on strengthening the academic and scientific aspects of the programme. “Higher education institutions possess enormous intellectual capital to help the state refine public policy. The best contribution from campuses is to provide studies, data, innovation, and recommendations that can serve as a basis for decision-making,” he said. In this way, the quality of literacy, research, and academic capacity of universities is maintained while delivering tangible benefits to society.