UNAIR NEWS (UNAIR), through its Institute for Sustainable Community Services (LPMB), hosted a Training of Trainers (ToT) program for faculty supervisors of the Community Service揕earning with Communities (KKN BBK) initiative. The event, held on Friday, September 26, 2025, at the Garuda Mukti Hall on the MERR-C Campus, brought together 260 supervisors from across faculties. The training continues through Saturday with a series of introductory sessions on KKN BBK.
The ToT is part of UNAIR檚 broader effort to unify its vision for community engagement while enhancing the role of supervisors. Participants are equipped with new insights to help guide students in implementing projects that contribute directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Impact and sustainability
LPMB Head Prof. Hery Purnobasuki, MSi, PhD, emphasized the significance of the training as a professional refresher for initiative supervisors.
淲e hope this program delivers real benefits. The ToT is a chance for BBK supervisors to renew their perspectives amid ongoing institutional changes at UNAIR, including within LPMB. Above all, community engagement programs, including BBK, must be both sustainable and impactful, he said.
More than formality
Prof. Purnobasuki also reminded supervisors that their role extends far beyond fulfilling academic requirements. Instead, they are expected to ensure that each community service project produces tangible contributions to local communities while staying aligned with SDG objectives.
淚n guiding BBK students, supervisors can also initiate independent projects in host villages, since the communities are already in place. When students propose activities, supervisors should help refine them to maximize their benefit攆or example, by serving as resource persons in local programs, he explained.
He further stressed the importance of integrating program excellence within SDG themes. 淓verything now points to measurable impact. There is much that can be explored through BBK, with villages potentially developed into model sites to share with faculties. God willing, supervisors will achieve significant outcomes. This will also strengthen the university檚 performance in terms of impact and sustainability, he added.
Building best practices
Meanwhile, Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Community Development, Prof. M. Miftahussurur, dr, MKes, SpPD-KGEH, PhD, said the ToT marks a shift in how UNAIR manages community engagement programs.
淭oday we aim to build a shared understanding of BBK strategies. Looking ahead, national and international BBK schemes must become a collective movement with measurable impact. With SDGs as the framework, the parameters are already clear, he noted.
In closing, Prof. Miftahussurur expressed appreciation for the participation of faculties across the university. 淟et us make BBK SDGs a transformative platform for sustainability. May this training not only strengthen our capacity but also serve as a foundation for best practices that bring lasting value to communities, he concluded.
Author: Nur Khovivatul Mukorrobah
Editor: Ragil Kukuh Imanto
