Kemendukbangga and USU Strengthen Evidence-Based Population Policy Research

The Ministry of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga)/BKKBN is collaborating with the University of North Sumatra (USU) to strengthen evidence-based research on population and family development policy. At the International Conference on Population and Family Development (ICoPoF) 2026 held at the USU campus in Medan, Kemendukbangga/BKKBN Secretary Budi Setiyono highlighted the strategic importance of aligning academic thought with the direction of national development. “The government is currently drafting the Grand Design for Population Development (DBPK) and the Population Development Roadmap (PJPK). These two documents will serve as the foundation for modern population governance towards Golden Indonesia 2045,” Budi stated in an official release in Jakarta on Monday. Meanwhile, Bonivasius Prasetya Ichtiarto, Deputy for Population Control at Kemendukbangga/BKKBN, stressed the need to strengthen partnerships between the government and universities to address increasingly complex population dynamics. “Collaboration between the government, universities, researchers, and all stakeholders is key to producing policies supported by scientific evidence. Through this conference, it is hoped that various scientific recommendations will emerge as strategic input for population and family development in Indonesia,” he said. USU Rector Muryanto Amin noted that future sustainable development challenges cannot be solved by a single institution but require cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral, and even cross-border collaboration. “Facing an increasingly complex demographic transition requires policies based on strong scientific evidence,” Amin said. On the same occasion, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Indonesia Representative Hassan Mohtashami stated that his organisation has long been a strategic partner of Indonesia in supporting population and family development. The collaborative spirit promoted by ICoPoF 2026 aligns with UNFPA’s commitment to strengthening evidence-based development through research, policy development, and investment in human resources. Through the ICoPoF 2026 conference, USU and Kemendukbangga/BKKBN hope to strengthen collaborative networks between the government, universities, international organisations, and stakeholders to produce research that supports evidence-based population and family development policies, ultimately contributing to the realisation of Golden Indonesia 2045.