Indonesia’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology has assigned 28 universities to act as emergency coordination hubs after floods and landslides severely disrupted higher-education activities across Sumatra.
Director General for Research and Development Fauzan Adziman told lawmakers during a hearing with Parliament’s Commission X on Monday that the hubs will map community needs, coordinate relief operations and function as command centres in or near affected areas.
He said the institutions will continue assessing needs as recovery progresses and ensure services remain accessible to displaced students and staff.
Seven hubs were designated in Aceh: Syiah Kuala University, Teuku Umar University, Jabal Ghafur University, Almuslim Bireuen University, Malikussaleh University, Samudra University and Lhokseumawe State Polytechnic.
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In North Sumatra, 11 universities were selected, including Medan State University, Medan State Polytechnic, Prima Indonesia University, the University of North Sumatra, Panca Budi Development University, the Islamic University of North Sumatra, Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatra, Medan Area University, Graha Nusantara University, Aufa Royhan University and Muhammadiyah University of South Tapanuli.
West Sumatra will host nine hubs, among them the Payakumbuh State Agricultural Polytechnic, the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Padangpanjang, Mohammad Natsir Bukittinggi University, Muhammadiyah University of West Sumatra, Baiturrahmah University, Padang State Polytechnic, Padang State University, Putra Indonesia University and Andalas University.
Deputy Minister Fauzan earlier said 60 higher-education institutions were affected across the island. The total includes four public and 27 private universities in Aceh, one public and 13 private universities in North Sumatra, and nine public and six private universities in West Sumatra.
He said teaching and learning activities in disaster-hit regions were largely halted because access routes were damaged, campus facilities were disrupted and academic communities were evacuated.
The ministry recorded 1,306 lecturers and 18,824 students among those directly affected across the three provinces, underscoring the scale of the disruption facing Sumatra’s higher-education sector.
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Translator: Tri Meilani Ameliya, Martha Herlinawati Simanjunta
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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