UGM Chancellor Appreciates The Assistance Of Two Electric Buses And Microbus From Airlangga Hartarto

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto handed over symbolic electric buses to UGM Chancellor, Panut Mulyono. (photo: ekon.go.id)

Yogyakarta - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto provided assistance in the form of two electric buses and two microbus units for Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM).

The vehicle assistance was handed over directly by Airlangga to UGM Chancellor Prof. Panut Mulyono and Chair of the UGM Board of Trustees Prof. Pratikno at Balairung UGM, Yogyakarta, Saturday (9/10).

The assistance in the form of electric buses has a total value of Rp.6,973,700,000 while the microbus assistance has a total value of Rp.461,600,000. Along with the vehicle, one unit of electric bus charger was also provided with a value of Rp293,700,000.

UGM Chancellor Prof. Panut Mulyono expressed his appreciation to Airlangga for the assistance provided. According to Panut, the vehicle will be used to support the connectivity of educational and research facilities owned by UGM in various places, and to facilitate the mobility of UGM community members.

"This assistance is very useful. We are grateful for the continuous help from the alumni," said Panut.

He also explained that the Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Assets and the UGM Asset Director were planning the use of campus vehicles.

With the plan to start face-to-face learning, field activities will also be reactivated, and campus vehicles are needed to facilitate students, lecturers, or education staff who will go back and forth from the UGM campus to field facilities.

Currently, UGM has a number of facilities that are used in educational, research, and community service activities, including the Agrotechnology Innovation Center (PIAT) in Berbah, Sleman, Wanagama Education Forest in Gunungkidul, and a teaching factory in Batang Regency.

"UGM will activate the campus in Kulon Progo, of course the existence of this vehicle assistance will be very useful for the mobility of staff and students. Apart from Kulon Progo we also have PIAT and also field facilities in other places," said Panut.

Airlangga hopes that the assistance will be part of the contribution according to the field of science he has studied at UGM. He also hopes that UGM can become one of the drivers of the development of electric vehicle technology in Indonesia.

According to him, currently electric vehicles are still not affordable by many Indonesians because the technology used is considered expensive. In the next few years, he hopes to achieve the national automotive production target for electric vehicles of 25 percent.