Balikpapan – The Rector of the Kalimantan Institute of Technology (ITK), Prof. Agus Rubiyanto, participated as a speaker in the "Rembuk Etam" public discussion forum. This event was organized by Kaltim Post and Balikpapan Televisi in collaboration with the Alumni Association of Brawijaya University (IKA UB) East Kalimantan, on Wednesday (June 4). The forum focused on the theme "Gratispol: Assessing its Contribution to Achieving Asta Cita," bringing together various stakeholders to examine the free education program currently implemented by the East Kalimantan Provincial Government.

In his presentation, Prof. Agus stated that the Gratispol program is an extraordinary leap in the history of education development in East Kalimantan. He highlighted that it not only expands access to education but also acts as a catalyst for improving the quality of human resources.

"We can learn from countries like South Korea and Japan, which successfully escaped the middle-income trap due to the quality of their higher education institutions. From there, innovation and global competitiveness emerged. Therefore, Gratispol must be a strong beginning, and its graduates must 'level up' in terms of quality," asserted the ITK Rector during the discussion.

Furthermore, Prof. Agus revealed that 80% of ITK students are from East Kalimantan, meaning that free education programs like Gratispol will directly and significantly impact the future of higher education in the region. He also emphasized the importance of the program's sustainability so its benefits can be felt by future generations.

In addition to the ITK Rector, speakers from various backgrounds were present, including the Deputy Governor of East Kalimantan, Seno Aji, Deputy for Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, Prof. Warsito, Rector of Brawijaya University, Prof. Widodo, Rector of Mulawarman University, Prof. Abdunnur, Rector of Balikpapan University, Dr. Isradi Zainal, as well as education observers and members of the East Kalimantan Regional House of Representatives.

The Deputy Governor of East Kalimantan, Seno Aji, stated in his address that Gratispol is a tangible implementation of the aspiration to strengthen sustainable human resource development, and not merely a populist program. With the current Gross Enrollment Rate (GER) for SMA/SMK/MA still at 72.37%, he emphasized the importance of policy intervention to achieve the 100% target.

The discussion also underscored the critical need for synergy among the government, community, public and private educational institutions, and the industrial sector to achieve this grand vision. Appreciation was also extended by the central government, which views Gratispol as a progressive step with the potential to become a model for other provinces in Indonesia.

As one of the rapidly developing state universities in eastern Indonesia, ITK remains committed to being a center for technology and innovation development deeply rooted in local needs, especially in East Kalimantan. The presence of the Gratispol program invigorates ITK in fulfilling its mission of inclusive and quality education, research, and community service.

With this momentum, ITK is ready to play an active role as a strategic academic institution, producing excellent, well-characterized graduates relevant to the development needs of the New Capital City (Ibu Kota Nusantara) and future industrial zones in Kalimantan.