Ministry of Culture Partners with 5 Strategic Partners to Strengthen Cultural Infrastructure

The Ministry of Culture (Kemenbud) is strengthening collaboration in the advancement of culture through the signing of Memorandums of Understanding and Cooperation Agreements. This initiative was undertaken alongside the Ministry of Public Works, the National Library, the Indonesian Public Broadcasting Institution (TVRI), the National Headquarters of the Scout Movement (Gerakan Pramuka), and the National University at the Ministry of Culture Building in Senayan, Jakarta.

The signing of these five cooperation documents is part of an effort to build a cultural ecosystem through cross-sector connectivity. The cooperation covers the strengthening of cultural infrastructure, the protection and utilisation of knowledge treasures, the dissemination of cultural information, the inheritance of values to the younger generation, and the development of research and human resources.

The Indonesian Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, stated that since the establishment of the Ministry of Culture, 38 strategic cooperation agreements have been realised with various partners, including the five agreements signed today.

“Most importantly, this cooperation must not stop at being mere documents. These Memorandums of Understanding and Cooperation Agreements must serve as an umbrella for us to work and produce something tangible. It is hoped that this cooperation will be implemented immediately to provide fast, precise, and beneficial results for the community,” he explained in a written statement on Tuesday.

According to Fadli Zon, the advancement of culture is a constitutional mandate that requires the involvement of various parties. Culture has a broad scope, encompassing not only the arts but also language, oral traditions, manuscripts, rituals, customs, traditional knowledge, local food, folk games, traditional sports, and various art forms.

“The Ministry of Culture cannot be the sole institution advancing culture. With Indonesia’s extraordinary cultural wealth, we need to work together with ministries, agencies, local governments, organisations, universities, and various other parties so that cultural potential can be developed and its benefits felt by the people,” he said.

Fadli added that the five partnerships play complementary roles in building a cultural ecosystem. Infrastructure is needed to maintain cultural spaces and assets, libraries strengthen knowledge, media expands reach, the Scout Movement supports regeneration, while universities play a role in research and capacity building.

“If we look at it holistically, these five collaborations form a mutually reinforcing chain. Infrastructure preserves cultural spaces, libraries safeguard knowledge, media expands reach, the Scouts strengthen regeneration, and universities develop research and capacity. This is the ecosystem we want to build together,” he revealed.

Echoing this sentiment, the Director of Cultural Cooperation at the Ministry of Culture, Mardisontori, stated that cultural progress requires support from various sectors because culture is a vital part of national character and civilisation building. He noted that the established cooperation is an effort to unite national strength through fields that play different but mutually supporting roles.

“The synergy built through these Memorandums of Understanding and Cooperation Agreements is a tangible manifestation of our collective effort to consolidate national strength. The unification of infrastructure, literacy, broadcasting, character education, and the academic world is expected to optimise cross-sectoral resource potential to strengthen the nation’s cultural resilience,” said Mardisontori.

Cooperation with the Ministry of Public Works is directed towards strengthening the protection, development, and utilisation of cultural heritage sites, museums, and cultural facilities and infrastructure. Adequate support in knowledge, expertise, and infrastructure is expected to strengthen the sustainability of cultural buildings and areas, including in facing potential disasters and various risks of damage, ensuring cultural heritage remains preserved for present and future generations.

Together with the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia, the cooperation includes the protection and utilisation of knowledge treasures and collective memory stored in manuscripts, ancient texts, literary works, printed works, and various recorded works. Such efforts are essential to ensure that the knowledge, values, identity, and historical journey of the nation can continue to be passed down and accessed more widely by the public.

With TVRI, the collaboration is aimed at strengthening the dissemination of cultural information and knowledge to the public. As a public broadcasting institution, TVRI has a strategic role and reach in presenting cultural information to a wide audience. This collaboration is expected to expand public appreciation and awareness of Indonesia’s cultural wealth while encouraging public participation in cultural advancement.

Meanwhile, the cooperation with the National Headquarters of the Scout Movement is intended to expand the inheritance of cultural values, local knowledge, and national history to the younger generation. The Scout Movement holds a strategic space in education and character building, allowing cultural values to be introduced and developed through various youth activities.

Finally, the Cooperation Agreement with the National University is part of strengthening culture advancement based on knowledge and research. This cooperation includes increasing human resource capacity, knowledge exchange, research, innovation, and the development of programmes in the field of culture.