Empowering Communities through Cross-Border Collaboration: A Joint Learning Initiative between Indonesia’s IPB University and Malaysia’s UCTC UPM via RASSEA

The Master’s Program in Development Communication (majoring in Communication and Development Extension) at the Department of Communication and Community Development Sciences, IPB University, recently conducted an academic visit to the University Community Transformation Center (UCTC) at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Selangor. The visits to Malaysia were Held from May 16 to 18, 2024, the visit aimed to enhance mutual understanding of extension and development communication through a collaborative learning experience between the two countries.

Led by Dr. Siti Amanah, a lecturer at IPB University and Chairperson of the Rural Advisory Services Southeast Asia (RASSEA), the delegation was warmly welcomed by Associate Professor Dr. Khairulmazmi Ahmad, Director of UCTC UPM, and Professor Dr. Norsida Man, Deputy Director of UCTC and Chairperson of the Malaysia Forum for Rural Advisory Services (MAFRAS). The collaborative exchange program attracted 150 participants and was held in a hybrid format, engaging stakeholders from academic institutions, the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture, the private sector, and research communities.

Extension and development communication play a crucial role in empowering farmers and rural communities by enhancing the capacity of individuals, groups, and institutions to sustainably improve their quality of life. As of 2024, Indonesia’s population has exceeded 280 million, with approximately 27.5 million people employed in agriculture. Alarmingly, half of these farmers live in poverty, and the number of agricultural extension workers—currently fewer than 50,000—is insufficient to effectively serve the nation’s 75,000 villages. Thus, multi-stakeholder collaboration involving the government, volunteer extension agents, and private sector actors is urgently needed to bridge the gap in extension services.

One of the strategies presented by Dr. Siti Amanah during the session was Indonesia’s model of partnership in Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services. Her presentation was based on findings from a joint study with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), titled Agricultural Human Capital Investment (AHCI). A notable case she discussed was the collaboration between the global cocoa company PT Mars and farmers, extension workers, as well as both local and national governments. This partnership is part of the Rural Empowerment and Agricultural Development Scaling-Up Initiatives (READSI), which aims to enhance the technical and non-technical capabilities of cocoa farmers in South Sulawesi.

The innovation introduced by READSI lies in its Cocoa Doctor approach—training farmer group leaders as master trainers who then guide their group members in best practices for cocoa cultivation. These practices include seedling production, plant rejuvenation, the use of liquid microorganisms, and expanded market access. Local extension agents support this system by serving as facilitators, collaborators, and advisors. Notably, women farmers are actively involved in the cocoa seedling process. This initiative has demonstrated tangible improvements in farming practices and livelihoods. The full report on this successful partnership can be accessed here: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143136.

Extension services are fundamentally an educational investment that fosters empowerment through behavioral transformation. Effective communication, community participation, and inclusive engagement are essential elements for sustaining this transformation. The success of extension efforts heavily relies on the involvement, initiative, and motivation of individuals, groups, and local communities. These services are multidimensional and must be tailored to the specific challenges and local contexts in which they are applied.

Both Indonesia and Malaysia have demonstrated successful examples of extension and empowerment programs that unite government agencies, communities, and the private sector to enhance farmer capacity. UCTC UPM, for instance, employs a bottom-up approach that utilizes the university’s physical resources and human capital to bridge the gap between academia and local communities, making the campus more accessible to the people.

During the visit, Wulan Ali Rahmin, a graduate student from IPB University, had the chance to share her experience working in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi. She detailed how she and her team assisted the local community in developing sustainable innovations using coconut husks—an agricultural waste product often discarded after harvesting the fruit. Their initiative transformed coconut husks into “cocopots,” a practical and eco-friendly product. This participatory approach not only advanced environmental sustainability but also delivered economic benefits to the community, particularly to women and youth.

This collaborative forum between Indonesia and Malaysia serves as a strong example of how regional networks like RASSEA can foster synergies among stakeholders to develop more effective and inclusive extension and advisory services. Through shared learning and innovative partnerships, Southeast Asian countries are establishing the foundation for a more just, empowered, and sustainable rural future.