Addressing Poverty: Telkom University's Collaborative Efforts

Telkom University (Tel-U) has taken significant steps towards addressing poverty through a collaborative initiative with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the National Food Agency (BPN). On July 14, 2023, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) Tel-U, marking a commitment to work together in tackling issues related to food security and economic stability.

The MoA was signed by Dr. Ratri Wahyuningtyas, Dean of FEB, alongside Dr. Mulyana Hadipernata, Head of the Agroindustry Research Center at BRIN, and Maino Dwi Hartono, Director of Supply Stabilization and Food Prices at BPN. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Dr. Ir. Rina Pudji Astuti, M.T., Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Cooperation at Tel-U, and H. Arief Prasetyo Adi, S.T, M.T., Head of the National Food Agency of the Republic of Indonesia.

In her address, Dr. Rina Pudji Astuti expressed the honor of Tel-U to collaborate with BRIN and BPN, emphasizing the university's commitment to supporting research and innovation to facilitate data analysis from the field. She stated, "We are ready to assist in research and innovation to help BRIN and BPN analyze data obtained from the field, aiding in timely decision-making that will produce positive impacts for the community."

The primary aim of this collaboration is to implement innovative products related to the calculation of staple food prices using machine learning technology. This effort will also include formulating policy recommendations for stabilizing food supply and prices, which is a crucial aspect of research and innovation in addressing food security.

Dr. Mulyana highlighted that BRIN has been collaborating with Tel-U since 2022, and this MoA signifies an expansion of their partnership. "This collaboration is one of the paths we can take to enhance our collaboration so that it has a broader impact, whether it concerns food price determination or other related issues," Mulyana explained.

Through this partnership, Telkom University aims to contribute significantly to poverty alleviation by addressing the challenges of food security, thus fostering a sustainable and equitable economic environment. By leveraging advanced technology and research capabilities, the collaboration between Tel-U, BRIN, and BPN holds promise for creating effective solutions to one of society's most pressing issues: poverty.