KKN Encouraged to Become a Vehicle for Regional Innovation

JAKARTA — Universities are being encouraged to foster regional innovation. Through the Student Community Service programme (KKN), collaboration between academia and regional governments is considered capable of producing innovations with a direct impact on communities.

To this end, the Domestic Policy Strategy Agency (BSKDN) of the Ministry of Home Affairs is promoting collaboration between the regional governments in Papua and Cenderawasih University (Uncen).

“This activity is part of our effort to optimise cooperation between the BSKDN of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cenderawasih University. We hope it will also have an impact on the cooperation already established between the Yapen Islands Regency Government and Cenderawasih University, particularly in the implementation of the 2026 KKN programme,” said BSKDN head Yusharto Huntoyungo, delivering a presentation at the Coordination Meeting on Strengthening Innovation in Yapen Islands Regency through Cenderawasih University’s KKN, held online from the BSKDN Command Centre on Friday (24/7/2026).

He went on to explain that the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the BSKDN, has a mandate to provide guidance and supervision of regional governance, including the fostering of regional innovation as regulated in Chapter XI, Articles 386 to 389 of Law Number 23 of 2014 on Regional Government.

He explained that regional innovation is an important instrument for improving the quality of governance, public services and regional competitiveness. However, he noted, any innovation developed must meet a number of criteria in order to deliver genuine benefits.

“During the KKN student orientation, we conveyed that regional innovation must contain elements of novelty, provide benefits to communities and regional governments, not impose burdens or restrictions on the public, fall within the authority of regional government, and have the potential to be replicated,” he said.