A lecturer at the Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Universitas PGRI Kanjuruhan Malang (Unikama), Dr. Ir. Enike Dwi Kusumawati, S.Pt., M.P., IPM., has called for a total overhaul of community service patterns carried out by higher education institutions. She emphasized that it is time for the academic world to move away from short-term programmatic approaches and transition toward empowerment strategies with long-term impacts.
Dr. Enike expressed these views during the 2026 National Seminar at Ma Chung University. According to her, the primary issue with community service to date has been the high level of public dependence on mentors, causing innovations to often stall once the mentoring period ends. She stressed that communities must no longer be positioned merely as objects, but must be engaged as active partners capable of managing resources independently.
Regarding rapid digitalization, Dr. Enike warned against viewing technology as the ultimate goal of development. Instead, technology must be positioned as a strategic instrument to enhance community productivity, transparency, and efficiency. The success of community service is no longer measured by the sheer volume of activities, but by tangible increases in income, digital literacy, and system sustainability after the program is completed.
By integrating research and appropriate innovation, Dr. Enike hopes higher education institutions can function as facilitators that bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world needs. This step is expected to create a community ecosystem that is not only technologically adaptive, but also possesses sustainable economic resilience and independence.
