New UII Rector Promises Campus Will Not Manage Free Nutritious Meal Programme

The elected Rector of Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) Yogyakarta for the 2026-2030 period, Hari Purnomo, who succeeds Fathul Wahid, has promised that the campus will not manage the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) kitchens.

Opposition to bringing the MBG programme into campuses was previously expressed by Fathul Wahid. Fathul frequently participated in demonstrations alongside civil society in Yogyakarta to protest the flagship project of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Fathul stated that universities have a mandate to improve the quality of education, research, community service, and to maintain critical thinking. He argued that campuses should not be burdened with operational roles that distance them from these strategic missions.

Hari Purnomo mentioned that he will continue several of Fathul’s policies. UII will concentrate on the quality of education and managing educational research. “The campus will not manage the MBG. We will concentrate on research development,” said Hari following the inauguration of the rector by the board of the UII Waqf Foundation at the UII integrated campus auditorium on Tuesday, 2 June 2026.

According to him, much research remains merely as manuscripts and sits idle because it has not been widely utilised by the public. Furthermore, the professor of industrial engineering intends to focus on ensuring UII graduates are absorbed into the workforce and are prepared to face disruption and the development of artificial intelligence technology.

The government has requested that higher education institutions build and manage MBG kitchens, as stated by the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, alongside the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, during the inauguration of the MBG kitchen at Hasanuddin University, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday, 28 April 2026.

Brian encouraged universities not to stop at research. According to him, campuses need to be directly involved in the implementation of government policies, including efforts to meet children’s nutritional needs through the MBG programme. He expressed hope that the steps taken by Unhas would be followed by other universities. Hari stated that UII has not yet received an official instruction letter from the minister to establish MBG kitchens on its campus.