Minister Wants to Involve Business and Academia in Transmigration, Says Programme Has Gone Global

Transmigration Minister Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara has expressed his desire to involve universities and the business sector in transmigration areas. He stated that his ministry is currently integrating the government, academia, and the business world—a triple helix model—into the transmigration programme. ‘We want to bring all three into transmigration areas, not just relocate people, but involve the business world and universities,’ Iftitah said during a media gathering in Tebet, South Jakarta, on Friday. Iftitah noted that the Patriot Transmigration programme has already inspired university students to participate. He recounted meeting a Patriot transmigrant from IPB University in Central Sulawesi who thanked him for the opportunity. The student, a pest science major, said he was uncertain about his future after graduation as many seniors entered banking, but found happiness in helping farmers solve problems with his expertise. Iftitah also explained that the transmigration programme is now being conducted on a global scale, revealing that Australia’s ambassador and a former governor-general expressed interest and plan to invite him to speak there. ‘Transmigration is no longer just local; it has now reached a global level,’ he said. He further shared an anecdote from a public lecture in China, where a doctoral student questioned the programme’s relevance. Iftitah responded by highlighting China’s durian consumption, valued at 120 to 170 trillion rupiah, despite having no durian plantations. He invited the students to bring their knowledge and capital to plant durian in Indonesia to enjoy the fruit together.