& Meeting Working Visit: Lecturer STEI to Payakumbuh

Dean of the School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics at the Bandung Institute of Technology (STEI-ITB), Prof. Dr. Ir. Suwarno, along with 60 STEI-ITB lecturers, visited Payakumbuh on Saturday (December 28). The visit was a follow-up to ITB's planned collaboration with the Payakumbuh City Government in implementing Payakumbuh Cyber City.

Upon their arrival in Payakumbuh, the ITB family was welcomed by Mayor Riza Falepi at the Balairung (Balairung) of the Mayor's official residence on Jalan Rky. Rasuna Said Payakumbuh. They were treated to durian and lunch by the Chairperson of the Family Welfare Movement (TP-PKK), Mrs. Dr. Henny Riza Falepi, who is also a Postgraduate Lecturer at ITB Bandung.

The presence of the ITB group was utilized by the Head of the Payakumbuh Education Office, H. Hasan Basri Sy, S.Pd., along with a number of SMA/MAN/SMK principals, to engage in dialogue with ITB lecturers. One of the electrical engineering lecturers seconded to the ITB Rectorate, Tricya E. Widagdo, ST, M.Sc., who is also a native of Payakumbuh, explained in detail the efforts to increase the graduation of Payakumbuh high school (SMA/MAN/SMK) students at ITB. Among them, improving student abilities, truly mastering the grades of the 6 subjects assessed in the National Examination.

The Head of the Payakumbuh Education Office reported that 10 Payakumbuh students are currently studying at ITB for the 2013/2014 academic year. Five of them are from SMAN 1, four from SMAN 2, and one from MAN 2. This number is quite large, Tricya said, compared to other cities/regencies in Indonesia.

Payakumbuh Mayor Riza Falepi and STEI-ITB Dean Suwarno have agreed to collaborate in the electronics sector, particularly in the development of various applications needed by the city government to realize e-government or a Cyber City.

In the next two years, Suwarno said, ITB will be working in Payakumbuh, assisting the city government with various applications, particularly in document tracking technology to improve bureaucratic efficiency and support economic acceleration and expansion. "We want to make Payakumbuh a pilot project. And during that time, ITB is ready to accommodate city government staff and teachers to improve their skills in information technology," Suwarno emphasized.

In front of his lecturers, Mayor Riza Falepi, an ITB alumnus, shared a glimpse of his journey to becoming a regional head. "To spur development across all cities and regencies across the country, it would be good if more ITB graduates became regional heads. But not to seek wealth.

"Being a regional head, especially in a city or district lacking natural resources, offers more hardships than advantages. But morally, it's a great feeling to receive appreciation from the community," said Riza, who was warmly welcomed by the ITB lecturers. The mayor and his wife were delighted to be reunited with the dean and his lecturers.

sumber: payakumbuhkota.go.id