Students from Various Programmes Deployed to Villages to Support SMEs
More than 100 students from various programmes at Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika (UBSI) Cikarang campus will be deployed to 38 villages in mid-2026 to participate in the BSI Explore 2026 programme. This initiative invites students to learn through real-life experiences, focusing on technical activities such as digital literacy training, assisting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in entering online platforms, and providing basic education for pupils.
“They will be divided into small teams, then live and learn amidst the community for several weeks. Our target is 38 villages as locations for community service. This is not a random number, but the result of a lengthy needs assessment process,” said the Head of UBSI Cikarang Campus, Hasan Basri, on Friday (27/3/2026).
He emphasised that the programme is designed with clear targets, not just ceremonial activities. “We aim for each village to achieve measurable outputs, such as at least five MSMEs able to enter digital platforms and an increase in local community digital literacy,” he stated.
According to Hasan, behind this lies no simple challenge. Because helping MSMEs is not just about creating marketplace accounts. Sometimes, it is about convincing someone that their business is worthy of growth.
“This programme does not leave students to go alone. There are supervising lecturers who monitor, there is an initial observation process before the programme is implemented, and there is evaluation at the end. All of that makes this experience not merely descending to the field, but part of a complete learning process,” he explained.
In the field later, he said, students will directly face MSME actors, village officials, and pupils. They will help create marketplace accounts, manage business social media, and compile simple promotional strategies.
“BSI Explore 2026 ultimately is not just about community service programmes. It is a meeting space between theory and reality. A place where students learn that solutions do not always come from books, but from the courage to listen and try,” he concluded.
One prospective participant, Rizky, 21, admitted to preparing himself long before departure. However, there is still a feeling that cannot be fully prepared. “We are not just coming to teach but also to learn from the community. The challenge is precisely there, how the programme we bring can truly be implemented,” he added.