Ministry of Transmigration Deploys 1,476 Academics to 53 Transmigration Areas

The Ministry of Transmigration (Kementrans) is deploying 1,476 academics to 53 transmigration areas in Indonesia through the 2026 Patriot Expedition Team (TEP) to strengthen research-based and innovative development. Deputy Minister of Transmigration Viva Yoga Mauladi stated during a simultaneous briefing in Bogor, West Java, that this year’s programme is the second batch, following a similar initiative in 2025 that involved around 2,000 participants. ‘This year we are placing them in 53 transmigration areas with a total of 1,476 people. The aim is to follow up on research from the 2025 Patriot Expedition Team and to take practical steps towards pioneering flagship product programmes in the transmigration areas,’ he said. The 2026 TEP participants comprise 39 professors, 10 post-doctoral researchers, 158 doctoral degree holders, 49 master’s degree holders, 214 applied master’s students, and 937 bachelor’s degree holders from various universities across Indonesia. Viva Yoga explained that all participants have been briefed on the economic, social, cultural, and political conditions of each transmigration area to enable them to adapt to the community and build synergy with local governments and stakeholders. ‘They are equipped to understand the field situation, because the economic, social, and political conditions of each area are determined by the social structure of the community,’ he said. He noted that the Patriot Expedition Team is part of the implementation of the transmigration development programme, which aims to improve community welfare through the application of science and innovation in transmigration villages. Viva Yoga expressed hope that the participants would produce objective data that reflects field conditions, serving as a basis for policy recommendations for the development of transmigration areas. ‘All development processes must be targeted, sustainable, and measurable with clear goals and needs. The Patriot Expedition Team is expected to provide policy recommendations for future development programmes in transmigration areas,’ he said.