The Head of the Universitas Indonesia (UI) Patriot Expedition Team Output 1 for Melolo, who is also the Head of the UI DPIS Community Service Team for East Sumba, Dr. Hendra Kaprisma, had an audience with His Excellency Dr. M. Fadjroel Rachman, the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Tajikistan, at the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Astana, Kazakhstan, on October 21, 2025.
During the warm meeting, which took place on the sidelines of an academic and cultural visit, the two discussed the potential for cooperation in developing ecotourism, culture, and community empowerment in East Sumba. This dialogue also opened up opportunities to explore a sister city relationship between a city in Kazakhstan and a region in East Sumba, symbolizing cross-national collaboration rooted in cultural and humanitarian spirit.
In their conversation, Dr. Hendra Kaprisma highlighted East Sumba’s extraordinary natural and cultural wealth, ranging from its distinctive savanna landscape, a strong equestrian tradition, natural ikat weaving, to traditional rituals rich in cosmological values. East Sumba is not only a beautiful place but also a learning space for cultural resilience, solidarity, and humanity. That is the spirit being brought to the global level and introducing Sumba as a living face of Indonesian humanities, while simultaneously opening concrete networking opportunities for collaboration.
In his presentation, Hendra also emphasized that the approach of the UI DPIS Community Service and the UI Patriot Expedition does not stop at social activities but is directed towards a development model based on local wisdom and social innovation, one of which is through the development of sustainable ecotourism and cross-country educational collaboration.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, Dr. M. Fadjroel Rachman, expressed his support for UI’s initiative in developing the eastern region of Indonesia. According to him, cultural diplomacy and sustainable development are two things that can go hand in hand in strengthening Indonesia’s position in the world. The Ambassador stated that Sumba is an important part of Indonesia’s face in the eyes of the world. The efforts of UI academics and students in empowering the community and introducing local wisdom to the international stage are a concrete form of the spirit of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) that we must support together. This kind of cooperation will become a bridge from Sumba to the world, from Indonesia to humanity.
Ambassador Fadjroel also welcomed the plan to explore a sister city partnership between East Sumba and a city in Kazakhstan that shares similar natural contexts and an agrarian society. This initiative is expected to strengthen people-to-people diplomacy while opening up opportunities for the exchange of knowledge, the creative economy, and sustainable tourism.
The meeting between Dr. Hendra Kaprisma and Ambassador Fadjroel is part of the Indonesia-Kazakhstan educational and cultural collaboration track, focusing on diplomacy based on humanitarian values and environmental sustainability. Hendra asserted that cross-country collaboration is not only about cooperation between institutions but also about building bridges between civilizations. We all share the same responsibility: preserving the earth, caring for humanity, and upholding humanitarian values. Sumba is a very valuable learning space for all of us, and with the full support of the Ambassador and all parties, Sumba will be an inspiration to the world.
The UI Patriot Expedition Program is a cross-disciplinary initiative coordinated by the Ministry of Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia (Kementrans RI), under the command of the Minister of Transmigration, Mr. Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara. Kementrans RI collaborates with the Directorate of Community Service and Social Innovation (DPIS) of Universitas Indonesia, aiming to empower communities in transmigration areas through an approach based on research, culture, and social innovation. The Melolo locus in East Sumba serves as a model for the development of applied humanities for students, lecturers, and the local community to collaborate in building social, economic, and cultural resilience. (Trans-RMRW)
Photo Caption 1: H.E. Dr. M. Fadjroel Rachman, the Indonesian Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, discusses with Dr. Hendra Kaprisma, who is wearing East Sumba ikat weaving.
Photo Caption 2: The UI Delegation with the Ambassador and the extended family of the Indonesian Cultural Center (KBRI Astana)
Photo Caption 3: Dr. Hendra Kaprisma is flanked by H. E. Dr. M. Fadjroel Rachman, the Indonesian Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, and the Ambassador’s wife, Ibu Popy Rachman.
