We are committed to establishing and strengthening the collaboration of education, business, and industry sectors.
Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA) - Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim has expressed the hope that the Proud of Indonesian Products National Movement (Gernas BBI) of Flavor of Maluku will become well-known globally.

“Through Gernas BBI, we will bring the Flavor of Maluku to also be popular in other continents,” he remarked at the main event of Gernas BBI in Ambon city, Maluku province on Monday.

According to records written by Portuguese sailors in the 16th century, the Maluku Islands were called Spice Islands, he noted.

Furthermore, woven fabrics from Maluku were worn at the Miss World event, he said. Recently, Ambon city has been designated as a City of Music by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), he added.

The assets and cultural heritages owned by the province can provide potential opportunities to improve the people’s welfare, the minister said.

He urged all parties to collaborate and transform together—which is also the focus of the Freedom in Learning program to eliminate barriers in the education, cultural, and economy sectors.

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“In fact, the sectors have huge influences. Quality education can generate creative graduates who are able to manage existing resources to improve the welfare of the community,” he said.

Furthermore, a prosperous community can get more opportunities to receive quality education, he added.

Thus, the Gernas BBI initiative emphasizes even and sustainable economic advancement, he said.

“We are committed to establishing and strengthening the collaboration of education, business, and industry sectors,” Makarim added.

This has been realized in the Vocational School of Center of Excellence as well as Freedom in Learning in Vocational Schools and Colleges/Universities, he said.

In addition, there is the Kedaireka platform, a Rp1.1-trillion collaboration among education and industry sectors to strengthen the research ecosystem and encourage the down-streaming of student innovation, he added.

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“Eliminate the barriers by using digital technology transformation. Since 2019, we have used digital technology in the procurement of services and equipment for the education sector through School Procurement Information System (SipLah),” the minister noted.

The system serves as a marketplace that assists schools in buying learning equipment using operational assistance funds disbursed by the government, he said.

Indonesian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are being given opportunities to be providers of services and equipment, he added.

One million transactions worth Rp12.6 trillion have taken place so far through SipLah, Makarim added.


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Translator: Indriani, Uyu Liman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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