Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The roar of a Hercules aircraft on the Halim Perdanakusuma runway on Monday morning, December 8, 2025, marked the beginning of the latest humanitarian mission by Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta (UPNVJ). Upholding its identity as a campus rooted in the values of Bela Negara, UPNVJ dispatched its Disaster Response Team to Aceh in response to the floods and landslides that have struck several regions across Sumatra.
The small yet well-trained team — led by Field Coordinator Ikhsan — consists of medical personnel and nurses from the Faculty of Health Sciences. Under the coordination of the Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Alumni, Dr. Ria Maria Theresa, the team has been assigned to strengthen healthcare services at the Bireuen Command Post for approximately ten days.
Upon arriving in Aceh after a four-to-five-hour flight, the team moved swiftly. They coordinated with the disaster command center, the health crisis agency, and local partners. From the main post, the team will work together with Syiah Kuala University to provide medical services to affected communities — from children to the elderly — who are currently staying in evacuation shelters.
Beyond deploying medical personnel, UPNVJ also allocated collected donations to procure essential supplies, particularly nutritious food prioritized for vulnerable families around Bireuen. The distribution is carried out in collaboration with local volunteers to ensure aid reaches the right recipients.
This rapid response is not the first for the institution known as the “Bela Negara Campus.” Over the past decade, UPNVJ has been actively involved in major disaster responses, from Lombok and Palu to Cianjur. The current mission reflects the university’s continued commitment to humanitarian action.
UPNVJ Rector, Prof. Dr. Anter Venus, MA, Comm, emphasized that sending this team is not merely a routine task but a moral obligation of the institution. “This is our way of strengthening national solidarity through concrete action,” he said. “Our policy underscores direct contributions to community recovery while instilling the values of Bela Negara among our academic community.”
With a clear mandate and a demanding mission ahead, the UPNVJ team once again carries an enduring message that remains steady through any crisis: humanitarian duty is a shared responsibility, and universities have an essential role on the front lines. (www.upnvj.ac.id)
