Surakarta, June 2, 2026 — The Directorate of Reputation, Partnership, and International Affairs (DRKUI) of Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) paid an initiation visit to the Central Java Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Service Center (BP3MI) on Tuesday (June 2). The meeting discussed various collaboration opportunities that could benefit students, alumni, lecturers, and the wider community.
Director of DRKUI UMS, Nurgiyatna, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., highlighted several potential areas of cooperation between UMS and BP3MI. These include providing information on overseas employment opportunities for UMS graduates, student internship programs at BP3MI, as well as research and undergraduate thesis opportunities related to Indonesian migrant worker issues.
“We see tremendous potential for collaboration, not only for students and alumni but also in the development of research and community engagement initiatives that align with national priorities,” he said during an interview on Wednesday (June 3, 2026).
Several BP3MI programs were identified as highly relevant for collaboration with UMS, including expanding access to official overseas employment opportunities through the government-to-government (G-to-G) scheme, validating training institutions that offer overseas employment pathways, student internship programs at BP3MI, and the National Vocational Program, which aims to facilitate the placement of 500,000 Indonesian migrant workers abroad.
Nurgiyatna also emphasized UMS’s readiness to collaborate on various research initiatives. According to him, UMS possesses substantial academic resources that can be optimized to support programs with direct benefits for society.
Meanwhile, Head of the UMS Sub-Directorate of Industry and Government Partnerships, Sidiq Permono Nugroho, S.E., M.M., explained that a number of UMS graduates are currently pursuing careers abroad through various pathways, including double-degree programs and vocational training institutions.
According to Sidiq, most of these graduates have secured employment overseas through independent schemes. He expressed hope that future graduates could be directed toward utilizing official placement schemes facilitated by the government.
Regarding the National Vocational Program, Sidiq stated that UMS has sufficient capacity to support its implementation, particularly through faculties whose expertise aligns with international labor market demands.
For example, UMS possesses the resources needed to support the promotion of vocational programs in the healthcare sector, particularly nursing, which is currently one of the fields with high international workforce demand. Through its experts and academic staff, UMS is prepared to contribute by educating the public about career opportunities and the competencies required in this sector.
UMS has also developed various collaborative vocational programs that can be tailored to the needs of industry and employers. As a result, community members and alumni seeking preparation and skills enhancement before working abroad can access relevant and targeted training opportunities.
“If community members or alumni require preparation or training before working overseas, UMS vocational programs can serve as a practical and relevant form of support,” he added.
During the meeting, Head of BP3MI Central Java, Dewi Ariyani, S.H., explained that the government is committed to ensuring comprehensive protection for Indonesian migrant workers in accordance with Law No. 18 of 2017 on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers.
This protection includes social protection before departure, legal protection while working in destination countries, and economic protection upon returning to Indonesia. To achieve these objectives, BP3MI continues to strengthen partnerships with educational institutions across the country.
“BP3MI is very open to collaborating with higher education institutions, including UMS, in supporting the protection and quality improvement of Indonesian migrant workers,” said Dewi Ariyani.
She further explained that BP3MI provides three primary services: institutional development and program outreach, migrant worker placement including pre-departure preparation, and migrant worker protection through complaint handling and case follow-up services.
Dewi also outlined several existing placement schemes for Indonesian migrant workers, including private-to-private (P3MI in cooperation with overseas agencies), government-to-private, government-to-government, UKPS (placement for a company’s own overseas operations), and individual placement through independent employment contracts.
As a follow-up to the meeting, Dewi stated that BP3MI Central Java will begin preparing a draft cooperation agreement with UMS.
The meeting marked an important first step toward strengthening collaboration between higher education institutions and the government in improving the quality of Indonesia’s human resources while expanding access to safe, legal, and protected international employment opportunities.
