EduAsiaNews, Jakarta – Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jakarta (UPNVJ) hosted the Public Consultation on the Comprehensive Community Empowerment Framework Study, organized by Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (Ministry of PPN/Bappenas). The event took place on June 23–24, 2026, at the Nusantara 1 Meeting Room, UPNVJ Campus, Pondok Labu, South Jakarta.
The forum was held as part of the process of formulating a comprehensive framework for community empowerment aimed at gathering public aspirations, strengthening policy legitimacy, and shaping a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable direction for community empowerment in Indonesia.
The event featured UPNVJ Rector, Prof. Dr. Anter Venus, M.A., Comm., as a keynote speaker who delivered the opening remarks. UPNVJ’s involvement in the forum reflects the strategic role of higher education institutions as government partners in strengthening the academic, research, and public participation foundations of national development policymaking.
During the event, Bappenas emphasized that community empowerment is a critical instrument for achieving inclusive, sustainable, and equitable development. This agenda is closely aligned with the 2025–2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), particularly in efforts to improve human resource quality, accelerate poverty reduction, reduce inequality, and strengthen an inclusive productive economy.
The public consultation was considered particularly important because various community empowerment programs implemented by ministries, government agencies, and civil society organizations continue to face several challenges. These include interventions that are not yet fully oriented toward long-term self-reliance, suboptimal mentoring and assistance mechanisms, and the need to strengthen governance and financing for community empowerment initiatives.
Through this forum, Bappenas sought to introduce a more comprehensive, holistic, and long-term approach to community empowerment. The event also served as a platform for gathering aspirations, insights, and firsthand experiences from various stakeholders, while collecting strategic recommendations to enhance the design, implementation, monitoring, and integration of community empowerment programs.
The public consultation on June 23, 2026, focused on ministries and government agencies. The agenda included participant registration, opening remarks by the Rector of UPNVJ, remarks from the Director of Social and Economic Self-Reliance at the Ministry of PPN/Bappenas, presentations on community empowerment studies, and discussions with participants. The forum continued with deliberations on four key pillars: capacity enhancement, agency development, economic self-reliance, and strengthening community and regional empowerment.
On June 24, 2026, the consultation expanded to include representatives from local governments, civil society organizations, and academia. This cross-sectoral engagement formed an essential component of participatory policymaking, ensuring that the comprehensive framework for community empowerment is developed in a manner that is both targeted and responsive to the diverse needs of communities across Indonesia.
As a state university with a strong commitment to the values of national defense, UPNVJ views community empowerment as an integral part of its academic and social contribution to national development. Through its participation in this Bappenas forum, UPNVJ reinforces its role as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas among government institutions, academics, and other stakeholders.
UPNVJ Rector Prof. Dr. Anter Venus, M.A., Comm., stated that the public consultation aligns with UPNVJ’s commitment to becoming a university that not only excels academically but also contributes directly to strengthening society. According to him, universities must serve as strategic partners of the government in generating ideas, recommendations, and best practices that enhance the welfare, self-reliance, and empowerment of the Indonesian people.(www.upnvj.ac.id)
