In implementing one of the pillars of the Tridharma of Higher Education, UPN Veterans East Java dispatched 2439 students who took part in the 2021 State Defense Thematic Real Work Lecture (KKN) virtually with student representatives attending the Technopark Building 1st floor, Monday (5/7).
The 2021 State Defense Thematic KKN chose the theme “Development of Local Tourism Potential and Strengthening the Creative Economy During the Covid-19 Pandemic”. This theme was chosen based on the Potential of UPN Veterans East Java and the Feasibility Study of the Program that can be carried out by students online while carrying out Real Work Lecture activities.
The Head of the Center for Community Service and Community Service at UPN Veterans East Java, Dr. Z. Abidin Achmad, M.Si., M.Ed in the activity report conveyed the basic concepts of implementing the 2021 State Defense Thematic KKN, among others, being able to provide benefits as a means of coping with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that occurred in various sectors of people’s lives. “The National Defense Thematic KKN activity during the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the implementations of STATE BEFORE by UPN Veterans East Java students and to contribute to the economic recovery of the community, especially in the tourism and creative economy at the village and sub-district level,” he explained.
Then, the 2021 State Defense Thematic KKN Locations are located in 5 regencies and cities, namely the City of Surabaya, spread over 31 sub-districts with 35 sub-districts including Sidoarjo Regency, located in 2 sub-districts with 22 sub-districts & villages, Blitar City, located in 3 Subdistrict with 12 Urban Villages, Gresik Regency, located in 1 Subdistrict with 9 Kelurahan & Villages and Mojokerto City, located in 3 Subdistricts with 6 Subdistricts with 2439 student participants divided into 84 groups who will carry out the Community Service Program on July 13-27 2021.
“Students who are directly involved in the community will later be accompanied by 28 field supervisors (DPL), with 1 KKN group containing 20-35 people and 1 DPL accompanying 3 groups,” said Zainal Abidin.
Meanwhile, the Rector of UPN Veterans East Java, Prof. Dr. Ir. Akhmad Fauzi, MMT delivered Real Work Lectures (KKN), which is one form of implementation of the “Independent Campus”. Through KKN activities, students are expected to hone their skills in identifying, formulating and solving all problems faced by the community. “Under normal conditions (before the COVID-19 pandemic), students were directly involved in various KKN locations, but currently, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is not possible. However, the COVID-19 pandemic did not dampen the enthusiasm of UPN “Veteran” East Java to encourage students to continue to participate and contribute to society. Therefore, so that this KKN activity can run in accordance with the East Java UPN “Veteran” Academic Calendar, an alternative strategy for implementing KKN is in online form (in the network). This form of online KKN is hereinafter referred to as COVID-19 Regular KKN”.
The Chancellor hopes that the COVID-19 Regular KKN activities which are carried out in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic can take place smoothly without any obstacles, and at the end of the COVID-19 Regular KKN activities, all students participating in the COVID-19 Regular KKN and all DPL stay in good health no less anything.