Community Outreach Program
COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM (COP) is a set of inter-disciplinary educational activities providing learning experience to Petra students and international students by living in a rural community. The students' participation in COP is as an actual reaction to the social life and response to help solve the problem on-site. This program is a part of the curricula for bachelor degree as well as the supporting medium to foster community development between Petra Christian University and the designated location.
The Background There are 3 responsibilities of every higher education institution in Indonesia that have to be performed: teaching, researching, and community serving, the 3 responsibilities together are referred as "Tridarma Perguruan Tinggi". COP is an activity that integrates the second and third aspect of "Tridarma Perguruan Tinggi". In accordance to the second aspect of "Tridarma Perguruan Tinggi" which is the research, COP participants will observe and analyze the real-life condition of the community on location. The participants are required to solve the factual problems by applying their knowledge and skills of scientific, technology, and art, depends on their major, to the communities’ condition and potentials. By doing this, the third aspect of the "Tridarma Perguruan Tinggi", serving the community, are met. In 2007, Petra applied Service Learning to COP. As an International Service-Learning, COP is expected to be not only a community service, but also a two-way learning process. Students can apply their knowledge to meet the needs of the society and they can learn from the community. They will also have to write a report reflecting this experience. Respectively, in 2008, COP selected by the Indonesian Minister Of Education as a pilot Kuliah Kerja Nyata project which conducted internationally. Projects done by students together with the society including physical projects such as drafting/design, repair & construction of kindergartens, water tank, procurement of public toilets, building bridges, parks, monument, etc and non-physical projects like, teaching, training, workshop/seminar, computers, sports, martial arts, entrepreneurship, agriculture, foreign cuisine, etc.
Participating Universities
- Dongseo University, Busan
- Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam
- Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
- International Christian University, Tokyo
- St. Andrew's University, Fife
- Lingnan University, Hong Kong
- University of Newcastle, Newcastle
For complete info, contact the Institute of Research and Community Outreach aka Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat (LPPM) of Petra Christian University.