Development Economy Study Program (DESP), Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, hosted a Dissemination of Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) Program to DESP students, especially for the 4th-semester students, on 28 February 2023 at Soedarah Soepono Building FEB UNS. This agenda aims to prepare students to understand the stages, procedures, and process dynamics of MBKM application in DESP FEB UNS.
Bhimo Rizky Samudro, S.E., M.Si,. Ph.D., the Head of DESP, delivers an overview of the MBKM Program hosted by the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), which the objective to give liberty and autonomy to education institutions to be independent of bureaucracy, while lecturers are freed from complex bureaucracy, and students are given the freedom to choose their preferred field of study.

Several MBKM programs provided by the Ministry of Education are student exchange, independent study/project, entrepreneurship, research, humanities project, rural development, internship, and teaching assistance.
The DESP has provided various supporting accommodations to facilitate MBKM Program implementation.
“The Study Program always provides support and assistance for students who wish to participate in MBKM to improve student’s individual quality and competency,” he explains.
To this day, the Study Program has delegates outbound students through the Permata Sakti Program and welcomed inbound students through an internal program in collaboration with the Economics Education Study Program FKIP UNS under the HRM course.
Moreover, DESP also establishes a reciprocal partnership, student exchange (inbound and outbound) with Development Economy Study Program FEB in Universitas Brawijiaya, Universitas Negeri Jember, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, and Universitas Negeri Semarang. DESP FEB UNS also received inbound students from the reciprocal partnership with Development Economy Study Program FEB Universitas Lambung Mangkurat and participated in Permata Merdeka MBKM Program.
Further, Dr. Bhimo explains the system for Kampus Merdeka Program applied in DESP FEB UNS, established by the Study Program to assist students through their participation in the Program.

For instance, in the student exchange program, DESP chose non-block learning for MBKM Program. Through this model, the Study Program offers General Courses and Study Program-specific courses at the introductory level in the first and second semesters.
In the third and fourth semesters, the Study Program offers intermediate-level Program-specific courses, while in the fourth to sixth semesters, students have the right to take courses from other Study Programs, either out of university, internship (fifth and seventh semester), or courses offered by other Study Programs in their home university (sixth semester). After completing the MBKM Program, students will continue their studies to the eighth semester to finish their final student thesis.





The Development Economics Study Program Community Service team, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, organized community assistance for fish farmers in Trenceng Village, Sumbergempol Sub-District, Tulungagung Regency. The program, which aims to assist the development of community skills in producing fish pellets independently, effectively, and efficiently, was implemented well in 2022.


The visit led by the Head of the Development Economics Study Program FEB UNS, was conducted as Focus Group Discussion (FGD) between DESP FEB UNS and IUP UI. The agenda was conducted at Meeting Room of Main Administration Building 2nd Floor, Universitas Indonesia.
Further, Dr. Isfa explained the journey of IUP UI and the process they undergo to reach its current state. A strong commitment from UI leaders becomes one of the crucial keys to conducting a qualified international class.
The visit led by the Head of the Development Economics Study Program, Bhimo Rizky Samudro, S.E., M.Si., Ph.D., was welcomed by Dr. Devi Sulistyo Kalanjati, SE., M.Acc., M.Sc., Ak., the Coordinator for Undergraduate Program (IUP) UNAIR, alongside IUP UNAIR program managers. On this occasion, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) between DESP FEB UNS and IUP UNAIR was conducted.
Further, Dr. Devi explained the journey of IUP UNAIR and the process they undergo to reach its current state. A strong commitment from UNAIR leaders becomes one of the crucial keys to conducting a qualified international class.
Starting the material presentation, Dr. Sarah explained the implementation of the RCT technique, especially in a public policy context. Regarding this matter, she provided an example of the contra-factual effect. For instance, a research attempting to measure the effect and efficiency of a social assistance program under two different assumptions, where the effect of assistance for a specific recipient will be compared to the condition of the same subject when they do not receive assistance. “Under this context, OLS regression is not applicable to determine the causality effect of assistance provision or a policy implementation,” explains Dr. Sarah.
Prof. Izza said that WKO is one of the reservoirs in Central Java, which extended through three Regencies, namely Grobogan, Sragen, and Boyolali Regency. Currently, the Sragen WKO has very good and extraordinary potential, especially in terms of ecology, which can be developed and combined with education, but so far, it has not been developed and yet to be managed properly. “The development of a tourism area has five main aspects: what to see, what to do, what to buy, what to arrive, and what to stay. These five aspects are indicators that will help the development of the WKO tourist area, especially in the Sragen Regency,” she explains through a release received by feb.uns.ac.id.

Prof. Asri Laksmi Riani, M.Si., as the Chairman of the Entrepreneurship Laboratory (KWU Lab), in her report, states that the training is part of the training series organized by KWU Lab. “The Entrepreneurship training will last until mid-November 2021. The training began with the recruitment of Entrepreneurship trainers from FEB lecturers, which were selected from each study program. The recruitment is followed by Training of Trainer (TOT) that invites several speakers, preparation of modules, training implementation, preparation of business proposals, presentations, mentoring and evaluation,” said Prof. Asri.
Meanwhile, Drs. Rohman Agus Pratomo, the Head of Academic and Student Affairs Bureau in UNS, appreciates the entrepreneurship training conducted by FEB UNS through a hybrid system. With this training, students are expected to compete at the university level as well as at the national level.





