Providing Assistance to Local Communities through the existence of a community service office.
UGM comprehensively offers, manages, and implements a wide range of outreach projects for local communities, encompassing education, healthcare, information services, literacy, community engagement, and tutoring. All of these initiatives constitute an integral part of the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, particularly community service, and are systematically coordinated through the Directorate of Community Service at UGM (DPkM UGM) as a strategic unit that bridges community needs with the university’s academic capacities.
In its implementation, UGM develops various community empowerment-based programs designed in a participatory and sustainable manner. One of the flagship programs is the Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN), which annually engages thousands of students from diverse academic disciplines and is implemented in four periods. In the second period of 2025, UGM deployed 8,038 students organized into 287 KKN-PPM units (teams), distributed across 35 provinces, 122 regencies/cities, and 236 sub-districts throughout Indonesia.
KKN is an intracurricular, community-based empowerment program that places students directly in various regions of Indonesia to apply science and technology in addressing real societal needs. In practice, students work in interdisciplinary teams alongside communities and local stakeholders to develop activities such as teaching and tutoring, health education (including clean and healthy living behaviors), information dissemination, as well as economic and environmental empowerment programs. This program is designed to be participatory, comprehensive, and sustainable, aiming to foster long-term community independence and well-being. Thus, KKN UGM not only serves as a learning platform for students but also represents a tangible implementation of outreach projects that generate direct and sustainable impacts for local communities.
Outreach in the Health Sector
UGM consistently organizes various community-based healthcare programs targeting vulnerable groups in rural and remote areas as part of efforts to improve public health status. Students from the Faculty of Pharmacy, for instance, conduct DAGUSIBU outreach programs in Yogyakarta to enhance public literacy regarding the proper acquisition, use, storage, and disposal of medicines, including correct dosage and environmentally friendly management of expired drugs. In Sawangan Village and Krogowanan Village, the Faculty of Pharmacy, together with students through community service activities, promotes the realization of healthy and self-reliant villages through education on stunting prevention, nutritional fulfillment, exclusive breastfeeding, implementation of clean and healthy living behaviors, cultivation of family medicinal plants (TOGA), and prevention of vector-borne diseases.
Similar initiatives are also carried out by student service teams in Pagerlor, Pacitan, through the Health Festival Gerakan Anti Stunting Pagerlor (GASPOL), which engages the community in activities such as nutrition education, demonstrations of complementary feeding for infants, group exercise sessions, and free health check-ups, supported by collaboration with local governments and health professionals. Meanwhile, the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing implements programs in Tlogoadi, Sleman, focusing on dementia education for the elderly, healthcare workers, and community health cadres through seminars, nutritional guidelines, and training in early screening instruments, which have been shown to increase awareness while identifying early signs of dementia in nearly half of the participants.
All these initiatives are strengthened through the Comprehensive Community Health Care (CCHC) approach developed by UGM as an integrated community-based learning model, which has further evolved into Community and Family Health Care with Interprofessional Education (CFHC-IPE). This approach emphasizes interprofessional collaboration in health education by involving students from multiple disciplines to provide comprehensive healthcare services to individuals, families, and communities. Through longitudinal and practice-based implementation, this approach integrates education, research, and healthcare services simultaneously, ensuring that interventions are not only curative but also promotive and preventive, and are able to address community needs more effectively and sustainably.
Outreach in Education and Capacity Building
In the field of education and information services, UGM consistently organizes various training and capacity-building programs targeting the general public, MSME actors, and students. One of the regularly implemented initiatives is the UMKM Class Series, an open learning program designed to enhance the capacity of micro, small, and medium enterprises through training, mentoring, and the transfer of practical knowledge. This program also serves as an interactive platform that encourages community engagement through discussions, experience sharing, and network strengthening among business actors, thereby creating a collaborative and sustainable learning ecosystem.
In addition, Dharma Wanita Persatuan UGM plays an active role in organizing innovation training for women MSME actors as part of efforts to strengthen inclusive, gender-based entrepreneurship capacity. This program focuses on product innovation development, marketing strategy enhancement, and the utilization of digital technology, while taking into account challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, such as limited access to training, low levels of innovation, and suboptimal marketing strategies. Through training sessions and workshops, participants are equipped with practical skills to improve competitiveness and business sustainability, while also promoting women’s economic empowerment, which contributes to improved family welfare, financial independence, and reduced unemployment.
Furthermore, UGM expands access to quality education through training programs for students from underdeveloped regions. One implementation is the technology-based accounting training for students of SMKN 1 Teluk Bintuni, West Papua, attended by seventeen participants from July 14 to August 29, 2025. Organized by the Faculty of Economics and Business UGM, this program is a collaboration between the Center for Accounting Education Studies and the Center for Information Systems Studies, integrating theoretical learning with practical experience in accounting, institutional finance, and computer-based accounting systems. Participants receive direct instruction from faculty members and utilize digital tools such as the SIDEK-Edu and SIDEK-ERP applications developed by the UGM Accounting Laboratory, enabling hands-on experience in modern accounting practices. In addition, the implementation of a Teaching Factory module involving MSMEs provides opportunities for participants to apply their knowledge in real business contexts. Overall, this series of programs reflects UGM’s commitment to strengthening human resource capacity through inclusive, practical, and needs-oriented educational approaches.
Community Economic Empowerment through MSME Assistance
UGM actively contributes to community economic empowerment through systematic and sustainable assistance to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). These activities include training to enhance production capacity, product innovation development, marketing strategy improvement, and the utilization of digital technology to expand market access. UGM also organizes business mentoring and startup incubation programs through the Innovative Academy UGM, providing intensive guidance to young entrepreneurs and MSME actors in developing business models, market validation, and investment readiness.
Furthermore, UGM collaborates with local governments and industry partners to support access to financing, product certification, and market development through various concrete programs. One example is the assistance provided to MSMEs in obtaining halal certification and business licensing (Nomor Induk Berusaha/NIB), enabling entrepreneurs to improve product legality and competitiveness in broader markets. In addition, UGM collaborates with the National Standardization Agency (Badan Standardisasi Nasional) to emphasize that standardization, particularly the implementation of the Indonesian National Standard (SNI), is a key factor in enabling MSMEs to scale up. Through these initiatives, MSME actors gain an understanding of the importance of quality standards in improving product quality, safety, and consistency, thereby increasing consumer trust and expanding access to formal distribution networks. These programs also provide interactive spaces for entrepreneurs to learn about certification processes, consult with experts, and share best practices. Cross-sector collaboration among universities, government institutions, and industry partners reflects a shared commitment to strengthening a competitive and sustainable MSME ecosystem amid global challenges.
UGM Initiatives for Sustainable Environment and Basic Services
In the environmental and basic services sector, UGM develops various research-based innovations to improve community quality of life through integrated approaches combining technology, education, and community empowerment. These efforts include the development of clean water treatment technologies such as the Gama Rain Filter, sanitation education, waste management, and community-based energy efficiency programs, including the installation of solar-powered lighting systems. These initiatives are further strengthened through water resource conservation programs and environmental education to raise public awareness of sustainability.
More broadly, UGM implements community programs to improve access to clean water and sanitation, particularly in areas facing water scarcity or contamination. Initiatives by the Graduate School focus on rainwater harvesting in drought-prone regions such as Gunungkidul by providing simple systems alongside education on sustainable water management. UGM students also contribute through the installation of water filtration systems in Karangwotan Village to address groundwater contamination caused by limestone, thereby providing safer and more affordable drinking water. Additionally, the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing collaborates with Water Mission Indonesia to evaluate and support clean water provision programs in North Tapanuli, Dairi, and Kupang through chlorination and regular water quality monitoring to promote access to household tap water. Innovative approaches such as fog harvesting in Gantang Village are also developed as alternative water sources by utilizing atmospheric humidity, particularly during the dry season.
On the other hand, UGM students actively promote energy efficiency and environmental awareness through both educational and practical initiatives. Through programs in schools such as SDN 2 Pagerlor and MIN 17 Kepulauan Seribu, students deliver knowledge on sustainable and renewable energy sources—including solar, wind, water, and biomass—using interactive methods such as presentations and experiments. They also implement community service projects such as the installation of solar-powered street lighting in areas including Soligi Village, Nagari Sungai Nyalo Mudiak Aia, and Kedung Ingas, aimed at improving public lighting, safety, and accessibility while promoting renewable energy utilization. Through collaboration with local communities and corporate partners, these programs also support sustainable development in coastal areas by integrating tourism development, environmental clean-up activities, and infrastructure improvements based on clean energy technologies, thereby contributing to local energy resilience and environmental sustainability.
Capacity-Building Initiatives for Policymakers
All of these outreach activities are not only implemented by the Directorate of Community Service UGM but also involve faculties, research centers, as well as lecturers and researchers from various disciplines, reflecting strong institutional synergy in addressing community needs. Collaborations with local governments, private sectors, civil society organizations, and international partners further expand the reach and strengthen the impact of these programs. This multidisciplinary and collaborative approach ensures that each intervention is contextual, innovative, and capable of providing practical solutions to societal challenges. In addition, UGM extends its contributions to policymakers and legislators through thematic training programs, such as environmental impact assessment (AMDAL) training facilitated by the UGM Center for Environmental Studies, supporting evidence-based and sustainability-oriented policymaking.
In conclusion, UGM not only provides a wide range of structured outreach projects but also ensures that these programs significantly contribute to improving access to education, healthcare services, information, and socio-economic empowerment. This commitment reaffirms UGM’s role as a higher education institution actively engaged in promoting sustainable community welfare at both local and national levels.
Source :
- Directorate of Community Service at UGM (DPkM UGM)
- Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN)
- DAGUSIBU outreach programs
- The Faculty of Pharmacy at UGM and KKN-PPM UGM Srawung Sawangan collaborate with the community: Realizing a Healthy and Self-Reliant Village through Education on Stunting Prevention, Family Medicinal Plants (TOGA), and Clean and Healthy Living Behavior (PHBS).
- Health Festival Gerakan Anti Stunting Pagerlor (GASPOL)
- The Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK) of UGM Conducts Community Service in Tlogoadi for Dementia Education and Early Screening among the Elderly.
- Community and Family Health Care with Interprofessional Education (CFHC-IPE)
- UMKM Class Series
- Training for Wwomen MSME Actors
- Supporting Education in Papua, FEB UGM Provides Accounting Training for Teluk Bintuni Vocational High School Students
- UGM Actively Contributes to Community Economic Empowerment
- Innovative Academy UGM
- UGM Distributes 100 Halal Certificates to Support MSME Growth
- UGM collaborates with the National Standardization Agency (Badan Standardisasi Nasional)
- Gama Rain Filter
- UGM Postgraduate School Real Action: MMB Study Program Promoted Water Solutions and Food Resilience with Rainwater Harvesting
- UGM Team Installs Water Filtration System to Tackle Clean Water Crisis in Karangwotan
- The Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK) of UGM and Water Mission Indonesia Review Rural Safe Drinking Water Programs.
- Harvesting Water from Fog: An Innovation by the UGM KKN Team to Address Water Scarcity During the Dry Season
- UGM students actively promote energy efficiency and environmental awareness
- UGM Students Strive to Illuminate the Night Darkness of Soligi Village on Obi Island
- UGM Center for Environmental Studies