MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA – The Minister of State for Education of Singapore Gan Siow Huang praised the collaboration between Singapore Polytechnic and Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) to improve the quality of community products.
The 11-year partnership has become a platform for implementing a design-thinking-based community empowerment to address issues affecting people’s well-being.
Students of both universities successfully developed a goat dung sorting machine to tackle issues faced by people in Selopamioro, Bantul, Yogyakarta.
Through a community service program, UMY becomes the only partner of Singapore Polytechnic to develop the prototype and exhibit it at the International Learning Festival,
Meanwhile, the Head of International Relations Office of UMY Idham Badruzaman mentioned that, as the first partner since 2013, UMY has consistently integrated Singapore Polytechnic‘s design thinking approach into its community empowerment program.
“Since UMY has various community service programs overseas, it would be a missed opportunity not to adopt the design thinking concept. We have sent UMY teaching staff to Singapore to learn how to apply this approach effectively,” said Idham in a press release on Wednesday, October 9.
Idam believed that adopting and optimally implementing this concept will enhance the quality of UMY community service programs. He emphasized that this empowerment approach aligns with the principles of the Learning Express (LEX) program, which focuses on empowering communities based on local values and culture.
