Patriot Expedition Programme 2026 Officially Launched, Involving 1,458 Graduates
JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transmigration has officially launched the 2026 Patriot Expedition Team (TEP) Programme, involving 1,458 graduates who will be deployed to 53 transmigration areas across Indonesia.
Transmigration Minister M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara stated that the programme is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the state’s presence in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions, such as Papua, Maluku, and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
“Indonesia is too vast to be discussed only in classrooms and conference rooms. In many places, the land is fertile, the seas are rich, and the future is promising. Yet, poverty still lingers there. This nation needs more than just discourse. This nation needs presence,” said Iftitah, quoted on Tuesday (05/05/2026).
Through this programme, participants will carry out research, studies, and direct community assistance in their assigned locations.
The programme is also said to continue the success of the 2025 TEP implementation in addressing real community needs.
In its implementation, participants’ service periods are divided into two schemes: four months for assignments outside Papua and up to one year for those placed in Papua.
Participants, who are graduates of D4 and S1 programmes, will be involved in various activities, from assisting farmers and fishers, helping with the education process in schools, supporting healthcare services, to contributing to basic infrastructure development and strengthening the local economy.
“Transmigration Patriot is a calling. One year of service to go directly to the field, bring new hope, open job opportunities, and build the community’s economy,” said Iftitah.
The Patriot Expedition Programme also involves collaboration with several universities in Indonesia, including the University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University, Bandung Institute of Technology, IPB University, Diponegoro University, Padjadjaran University, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Airlangga University, Brawijaya University, and Hasanuddin University.
Nevertheless, Iftitah emphasised that the programme is open to all bachelor’s graduates, including those from universities outside the partnered institutions.
“If not a graduate from those 10 universities, it is still possible to register. There is an eleventh column, which is for other universities, private campuses, campuses anywhere across Indonesia, they can participate in this programme,” he said.
The selection process will be conducted in several stages, with the announcement of results scheduled for June 2026.
Selected participants will undergo orientation in July before being dispatched to their respective assignment locations.