Pekanbaru (CatraMedia.com) — The Persada Bunda Indonesia University (UPBI) has signed a cooperation agreement with the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkum) in Riau Province to strengthen collaboration between higher education and community-based legal practice.
The agreement was signed by Riau’s Regional Office Head Rudy Hendra Pakpahan and UPBI Rector Dr. Hasnil Zainal, SE, MM during a ceremony held at Balai Serindit, the Provincial Hall on Jalan Diponegoro 23, Pekanbaru, Tuesday (Oct 21). The signing took place alongside the inauguration of 1,862 Village and Sub-district Legal Aid Posts (Posbankum) across Riau Province.
In addition to UPBI, 12 other universities in Riau also formalized similar cooperation agreements with the Ministry’s regional office.
Minister of Law and Human Rights Supratman Andi Agtas, who attended the ceremony, welcomed the partnership as an important step to integrate academic study with real-world legal practice.
“Universities can use Posbankum as a practical laboratory for students, allowing them not only to learn legal theory but also to understand how the law functions with a human-centered approach,” Supratman said.
He noted that several constitutional challenges granted by the Constitutional Court in recent years were actually filed by active university students, showing that legal awareness and critical thinking are growing among the younger generation.
“Posbankum can serve as a place where our students learn to seek solutions through dialogue and reconciliation, without breaking social harmony,” he added.
The cooperation is expected to build a new generation of legal practitioners who are not only academically competent but also socially conscious and empathetic toward the legal issues faced by communities at the grassroots level.
In the other hand, Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkum) in Riau, Rudy Hendra Pakpahan, emphasized in his remarks that synergy between legal institutions and universities is a strategic step to expand the reach of legal services to the public, especially at the village and sub-district levels. Universities, he said, play a major role in building legal awareness through education, research, and community service. Through this collaboration, campuses can serve as active partners in empowering communities through legal literacy and assistance.
The thirteen universities that signed cooperation agreements with Kemenkum Riau include Sultan Syarif Kasim State Islamic University (UIN Suska) Riau, Riau Islamic University (UIR), Muhammadiyah University of Riau (UMRI), Lancang Kuning University (Unilak), Persada Bunda Indonesia University, STIKES Maharatu, Hang Tuah University of Pekanbaru, Caltex Riau Polytechnic (PCR), Lukman Edy Institute of Pekanbaru, STIKES Pekanbaru Medical Centre, Payung Negeri Polytechnic, Pahlawan Tuanku Tambusai University, and Dumai University.
Through this strategic partnership, universities are expected to play an active role in the operation of Legal Aid Posts (Posbakum) by organizing legal education activities, conducting public policy research, and providing legal assistance to underprivileged communities. The involvement of academic communities is expected to broaden legal literacy at the grassroots level and foster greater awareness of the law among the younger generation.
Rudy emphasized that Posbakum is not only a center for legal consultation but also a space for legal education and community empowerment in rural areas. With university support, Posbakum will serve as an interactive platform that combines academic approaches with practical legal empowerment in the field, strengthening both the scientific dimension and the sustainability of legal aid programs.
Furthermore, this event marked a shared commitment among local governments, law enforcement agencies, and academic institutions to provide sustainable, inclusive, and equitable legal aid services across Riau Province.
With this spirit of collaboration, the Riau Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights hopes that the presence of Posbakum in every district and city will become a role model for strengthening access to justice and community-based legal empowerment. This initiative aligns with the broader mission of building a legally aware, empowered, and socially just society in Riau.
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