BSI Explore 2026: Students Descend to 38 Villages to Learn from Community Realities
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BEKASI – There is one thing that is often not taught in the classroom: reality. Not because the lecturers are incapable, but because life outside campus is far too complex to be simply explained through presentation slides.
That might also be what the Bina Sarana Informatika University (UBSI) Cikarang Campus is attempting to address through the BSI Explore 2026 programme. It is a programme that not only invites students to learn but truly “throws” them into real life.
The programme is scheduled to take place in mid-2026, targeting 38 villages as service locations. This is not a random number but the result of a lengthy needs-mapping process.
More than 100 students from various study programmes will be deployed, divided into small teams, and then live and learn among the community for several weeks.
There, they do not come as “smart students”. They come as people who must relearn how to understand the world.
The activities’ focus sounds technical, such as digital literacy training, assisting UMKM to enter online platforms, and basic education for pupils.
However, if thought about more deeply, this is not just about technology. It is about how knowledge that feels “neat in the classroom” can still stand when it meets reality that is not always neat.
The Head of UBSI Cikarang Campus, Hasan Basri, emphasised that the programme is designed with clear targets, not just ceremonial activities.
“We target each village to receive measurable outputs, such as at least five UMKM capable of entering digital platforms and improvements in local community digital literacy,” he stated in a press release on Wednesday (15/4/2026).
Those words sound systematic, but behind them lie challenges that are not simple. Because helping UMKM is not just about creating marketplace accounts. Sometimes, it is about convincing someone that their business is worthy of growth.
The programme also does not leave students to proceed alone. There are supervising lecturers who will monitor, there is an initial observation process before the programme runs, and there is evaluation at the end. All of that makes this experience not just “going to the field”, but part of a complete learning process.
One participant, Rizky (21), admitted to preparing himself well in advance of departure. But still, there is a feeling that cannot be fully prepared.
“We are not just coming to teach, but also to learn from the community. The challenge is precisely there, how the programme we bring can truly be implemented,” he said.
And perhaps, that is the core of it all. Sometimes, what we call “teaching” is actually the most honest learning process.
In the field later, students will directly engage with UMKM actors, village officials, and pupils. They will help create marketplace accounts, manage business social media, and compile simple promotion strategies.
It sounds technical, but in reality, this is about building trust. BSI Explore 2026 ultimately is not just a service programme. It is a meeting space between theory and reality. A place where students learn that solutions do not always come from books, but from the courage to listen and try.
And if everything goes according to plan, the impact will not only be felt by those villages. But also by the students themselves who return with a new perspective on the world.