MPR and ULM Agree on Collaboration in Education and Community Service

The collaboration is aimed at strengthening synergy in education, research, and community service between state institutions and higher education. This partnership is deemed essential for developing superior human resources, expanding academic and national networks, and enhancing the contributions of universities and state institutions in addressing regional and national development challenges. Acting Secretary General of the MPR RI, Siti Fauziah, expressed appreciation for ULM’s contributions in supporting access to education for students, including through tuition assistance programmes and a proactive outreach approach to students. “I am very grateful; Alhamdulillah, we can return here. The MPR has often collaborated with Lambung Mangkurat University through FGDs, FKP, and various other activities,” said Siti Fauziah in her statement on Thursday (7/5/2026). The first woman to serve as Secretary General of the MPR RI also highlighted ULM’s commitment to assisting underprivileged students, as well as the campus’s innovations in ensuring the continuity of education. “I am very impressed; this university can fund students in need and even implement a ‘jemput bola’ method, where the campus reaches out to its students. That is excellent and can be emulated by other campuses,” she added. Siti Fauziah also greatly appreciated the large scale of the ULM campus, which has two main locations in Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru, as well as the tens of thousands of students. The collaboration between the MPR RI and ULM, she continued, will continue to be strengthened through various programmes such as Focus Group Discussions (FGD), Forums for Constitutional Studies (FKP), as well as internship and field work practice (PKL) programmes for students. In addition, Siti Fauziah mentioned that the results of the FGDs will serve as important input for the MPR RI’s Research Body in formulating future policy recommendations. One of the themes to be discussed is environmental law, which is considered relevant to the conditions in South Kalimantan that still have extensive green areas, particularly in the Banjarbaru region. “The choice of the environmental law theme is very appropriate. We see that Kalimantan still has many green areas that need to be protected,” she said. Siti Fauziah hopes that through this collaboration, the contributions of academics in providing input on legal and state development in Indonesia can be strengthened, particularly through ongoing collaboration between the MPR RI and higher education institutions. “I hope this collaboration continues and provides tangible benefits for the world of education and the strengthening of constitutional democracy in Indonesia,” she stated. On the same occasion, ULM Rector Ahmad Alim Bachri expressed appreciation for the visit and hopes that this collaboration brings benefits to the development of higher education, research, and community service. Ahmad explained that ULM is the first university in Kalimantan that is now continuously expanding access to education through Off-Campus Study Programmes (PSDKU) in several areas in South Kalimantan. “ULM is committed to providing inclusive and quality higher education. We want local children to still be able to attend university without being burdened by high living costs by bringing educational services closer to the community,” he explained. Ahmad also reaffirmed ULM’s commitment to maintaining fair and affordable access to education for students. “Since 2014 until now, ULM has never increased tuition fees. During my tenure as rector, we have strived to ensure that education remains accessible to all levels,” he concluded.