UNAIR NEWS — The SDGs Center Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) paid an official visit to the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS RI) in Jakarta on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The purpose of the visit was to discuss strategic collaboration between university-based SDGs centers and the central government to accelerate progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The meeting focused on reinforcing the role of SDGs Centers as technical partners in assisting local governments—at the regency, city, and provincial levels—in incorporating SDG targets into their Regional Medium-Term Development Plans (RPJMD).

Strengthening role of higher education institutions

UNAIR’s delegation included Dr. Ahmad Safril Mubah, SIP, MHub Int, a lecturer in International Relations UNAIR and the SDGs Center’s Lead Expert Coordinator, along with Moh Agung Santoso, SHum, MM, a Data Analyst at the Center. From BAPPENAS, attendees included Arifin Rudiyanto, Coordinator of the National SDGs Secretariat’s Expert Team, and Rachman Kurniawan, Manager of the Secretariat’s Environmental Development Pillar.

Discussions centered on the pivotal role of universities, particularly their SDGs Centers, as bridges connecting national policy frameworks with on-the-ground implementation. A key issue addressed was ensuring that RPJMD documents reflect not only sectoral programs but also priority indicators from all 17 SDGs, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Supporting national SDGs priorities

The meeting also reaffirmed the importance of the initiative in advancing SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), particularly in enhancing institutional capacity and fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration in sustainable, inclusive, and evidence-based regional development planning.

This visit represents an initial step toward developing a technical assistance framework led by UNAIR’s SDGs Center to support SDG-based RPJMD integration. The framework will include training sessions, assistance in formulating development indicators, and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating regional SDG outcomes.

Author: Arif Yahya

Editor: Yulia Rohmawati