IPB University SKPM Department Reviews Rural Transformation in the Digital Era

Department of Communication Science and Community Development (SKPM), Faculty of Human Ecology (Fema) IPB University held The 4th International Conference Rural Socio-Economic Transformation (Ruset) 2023, in a hybrid manner (01/11). This conference, which was initiated in 2019, is back with the theme ‘Building Sustainable and Resilient Rural Society in the Digital Era’.

This event is used as a platform to encourage researchers, scientists, policy makers, academics and educational activists to exchange and share experiences and research results in the field of rural transformation. The hope is that this agenda can provide enlightenment and encourage collaboration between parties in this field.

Vice Dean of Fema IPB University for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr Megawati Simanjuntak emphasized the importance of increasing rural resilience in this digital era. She believes that the topic is in line with the vision of Fema IPB University 2024-2029 to oversee sustainable rural development.

“As many as 48 percent of Indonesia’s population still lives in rural areas and experiences various social and economic problems. As a result, there is economic inequality in rural areas. “This fact shows how important it is to design inclusive development to improve the welfare of rural communities,” she said.

Therefore, he continued, the use of technology in the digital era must involve the role of villages so that they can create an intelligent and prosperous society.

Meanwhile, Prof Deni Noviana, Vice Rector of IPB University for Education and Student Affairs, said that the issue of rural transformation must be raised globally so that it can create a more sustainable rural life.

“This conference is the best moment to collaborate and seek inspiration from experts, practitioners and researchers regarding the issue of socio-economic transformation in rural areas. “I believe this conference is beneficial not only for academics but also for practitioners and policy makers,” he said.

This conference was continued with a presentation session moderated by Dr Djuara P Lubis, lecturer at the SKPM Department of IPB University. The resource person presented was Prof Alexander G Flor, lecturer and researcher from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies, University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). He discusses the topics of disruptive technology, communication practices and the rural sociological landscape.

Apart from that, there were also Prof Nguyen Thanh Lam, Associate Professor from the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Prof. Dorien Kartikawangi from Atma Jaya Catholic University, Indonesia and Prof Mohd Roslan Rosnon from Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Chairman of the IPB University SKPM Department, Dr Anna Fatchiya said, “I am sure that the information and knowledge we gain at this conference can be useful for our development and progress in the future. “This event is also an extraordinary place to expand networks and build mutually beneficial relationships between participants, speakers and all stakeholders,” he said. (MW/SRI/Rz) (IAAS/Res)