Strengthening Societal Impact: Universities in West Java Hold FGD on Service-Learning Dissemination and Collaboration

Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ), through its Enhancing Quality Education for International University Impacts and Recognition (EQUITY) programme, is strengthening the role of higher education in delivering tangible solutions for society through innovative and sustainable community service. This commitment was realised through a Focus Group Discussion on the Dissemination of Community Service Results and Strengthening Higher Education Collaboration in West Java, held on Friday (5/6) at the STIKEP PPNI West Java campus hall in Bandung. This activity is part of the UNJ EQUITY Programme’s strategy to broaden the dissemination of best practices from community service whilst reinforcing collaborative networks among higher education institutions. The forum discussed various innovations, empowerment models, and engagement approaches proven to benefit communities, with the aim of enabling wider replication and development. The FGD was attended by representatives from various universities in West Java, including Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD), STIKEP PPNI Jawa Barat, Universitas Katolik Parahyangan (UNPAR), Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani (UNJANI), STIKES Dharma Husada Bandung, and the team from UNJ. The presence of these institutions reflected a collaborative spirit in building a stronger, more inclusive, and impactful community service ecosystem. Chair of STIKEP PPNI West Java, Linlin Hindayani, expressed appreciation for UNJ’s initiative in providing a space for dialogue and collaboration. According to her, increasingly complex social challenges require cross-institutional synergy so that solutions become more comprehensive and sustainable. Echoing this sentiment, Wawan Arif Sarwana, Chair of the Indonesian National Nurses Foundation, affirmed that community service is a tangible form of higher education’s contribution to improving people’s quality of life. He expressed hope that forums like this would give rise to collaborative programmes with a direct impact on regional development. UNJ Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, and Information Systems, Prof Fahrurrozi, asserted that community service is a strategic instrument for realising higher education’s role as an agent of social change. Through the EQUITY Programme, UNJ is oriented not only towards improving education quality and international reputation, but also ensuring that research, innovation, and service outcomes directly benefit the community. Cross-university collaboration is key to expanding this impact more systematically and sustainably. Meanwhile, Head of the UNJ Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), Prof Iwan Sugihartono, explained that West Java is a region with diverse potential and social challenges, making it a strategic space for actualising various service programmes. Various community service themes currently developing, from cultural preservation, MSME strengthening, inclusive education, women’s empowerment, to community digital transformation, are highly relevant to the needs of West Java society. Therefore, synergy between universities must be continuously strengthened so that the resulting solutions become more comprehensive and have a broad impact. On the same occasion, UNJ’s Director of Innovation, Downstreaming, Information Systems, and Ranking, Murti Kusuma Wardani, stressed the importance of downstreaming community service outcomes as part of enhancing institutional reputation and contributing concretely to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She stated that the success of community service is measured not only by the number of programmes implemented but also by the sustainability of impact, replication opportunities, and its ability to build community self-reliance. This forum serves as a strategic platform to bring together ideas, experiences, and broader collaboration opportunities. Through this FGD, participants successfully formulated a mapping of strategic community service themes, compiled recommendations for strengthening cross-university collaboration, and expanded academic cooperation networks in the field of community service. The activity underscored the commitment of UNJ’s EQUITY Programme to building a culture of collaboration that strengthens the impact of service, encourages social innovation, and contributes to sustainable development in Indonesia.