Transmigration Ministry to Involve Youth in Developing Transmigration Areas
The Ministry of Transmigration is preparing thousands of new economic growth centres through the Transmigration Patriot programme. This initiative invites young talent to play an active role in the development of transmigration areas across various regions.
The Transmigration Patriot programme is a government effort to strengthen regional development while reducing the disparity of opportunities across different areas.
The Minister of Transmigration, M Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, stated that Indonesia’s future development cannot rely solely on existing government or economic centres.
“The future of Indonesia will not be built only from Jakarta. The future of Indonesia will be built from thousands of new growth centres spread throughout the archipelago,” Iftitah said in an official statement on Sunday.
According to Iftitah, transmigration programmes have so far established 1,567 definitive villages, 466 sub-district capitals, 116 regency capitals, and three provincial capitals.
Nevertheless, he assessed that the greatest challenge today is no longer an issue of income, but rather the inequality of opportunities in developing regional potential and human resources.
“The greatest inequality we face today is not income inequality. The greatest inequality facing this nation is the inequality of opportunity,” Iftitah remarked.
Through Transmigration Patriot, the Ministry of Transmigration aims to expand the distribution of talent, knowledge, technology, and innovation to transmigration areas. The programme involves researchers, lecturers, innovators, and agents of change to support regional development.
Iftitah noted that the paradigm of transmigration is no longer focused solely on population movement, but also on the movement of science, technology, and talent.
He also invited universities to participate through the Patriot Expedition Team so that research results and innovations can be applied directly within the community.
“We want to bring science. We want to bring campuses closer to the community. We want to turn transmigration areas into living laboratories for Indonesia’s development,” said Iftitah.
According to him, collaboration between universities and the government is expected to accelerate the emergence of new economic growth centres while simultaneously improving the welfare of communities in transmigration areas.