MARITIMEPOSTS.COM – LABUAN BAJO, NTT — Hasanuddin University (Unhas) has deployed the first university-led disaster response team to affected areas in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), with Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Drg. Muhammad Ruslin, personally leading the humanitarian mission.
The team departed for Labuan Bajo on Wednesday, August 19, at 10:35 a.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA), before continuing to Manggarai and East Manggarai to support communities affected by the disaster.
The deployment was organized through Unhas’s Thematic Community Service Program for Disaster Response (KKN-TB), bringing together students and lecturers in a mission that combines humanitarian assistance, community service, and practical disaster-response learning.
Prof. Muhammad Ruslin led the delegation alongside Dr. Eng. Ilham Alimuddin, Head of the Disaster Research Center at the Unhas Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM).
Ruslin said the deployment reflects Unhas’s commitment to responding quickly to communities affected by disasters. He emphasized that the university’s response goes beyond delivering aid, as students are also being directly involved in humanitarian activities in the field.
“This is a humanitarian mission for Unhas. Our team is heading to Labuan Bajo and will then establish posts in Manggarai and East Manggarai. The students will remain in the affected areas for approximately two weeks,” Ruslin said on Wednesday (August 19, 2026).
Ten Students Join the Humanitarian Mission
A total of 10 students from the 117th cohort of KKN-TB have been deployed as part of the mission. They represent diverse academic disciplines, including medicine, dentistry, geophysics, physics, mining engineering, animal science, international relations, and law.
The students are Angga Anugrah, Nadhiva Amelia Naura, Muhammad Aflahal Mukmin, Renaldi, Reynhard Kanna Lengkong, Vargas Radho Nuru, Andi Nurul Mazaya, Lantar Maulana Anugerah Daiva, Muhammad Rizki Rivaldo, and A. Fathur Rahman.
Their diverse academic backgrounds are expected to strengthen the team’s capacity to respond to the complex needs of disaster-affected communities through a multidisciplinary approach.
For the students, the mission also offers an opportunity to learn directly from a disaster-response situation. Their activities will involve community service, humanitarian assistance, disaster management, and collaborative work under emergency conditions.
The team is further supported by student organization leaders, including representatives from the Student Executive Boards (BEM) of the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, and Faculty of Law.
Labuan Bajo as the Gateway
Labuan Bajo will serve as the team’s entry point before the group moves toward Manggarai and East Manggarai. Unhas plans to establish posts in both regencies as operational centers for the team’s activities during the approximately two-week mission.
The deployment underscores Unhas’s commitment to playing an active role in disaster response and community recovery. It also demonstrates how the university can mobilize academic resources and student participation to address urgent humanitarian needs.
By sending a multidisciplinary team directly to affected communities, Unhas hopes to contribute not only to immediate disaster response but also to the recovery process in Manggarai and East Manggarai.
The mission, led by Vice Rector Prof. Drg. Muhammad Ruslin, marks a significant step in Unhas’s effort to place higher education at the center of humanitarian action—bringing knowledge, students, and institutional resources directly to communities when they need them most.
