UNY continues to assert its role as a change-driving campus through the “UNY Berdampak” programme, which aligns with the national “Dikti Saintek Berdampak” initiative from the Ministry of Education, Research and Technology. One concrete form is community empowerment in the processing of jatropha seeds (Jatropha curcas L.) into a source of renewable fuel, implemented at Pasar Blumbang Mataram, Wirokerten, Bantul. The activity is part of a professors’ assignment grant from UNY and involves faculty from the Department of Chemistry Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at UNY: Prof. Isana Supiah Yosephine Louise, Dr. Bernadetta Octavia, and Heru Pratomo Aloysius, M.Si, together with five assisting students: Ega Mas Rengganis, Millatul Maziidah, Ayunda Sukma Dewi Saffitri, Dini Aprilia Saputri and Khuswatun Hasanah.

The training was held at Pasar Blumbang Mataram, Wirokerten, with participants from the local Tourism Awareness Group (Kelompok Sadar Wisata). The material included the introduction of the jatropha plant, techniques for processing jatropha seeds into jatropha oil through hydraulic and Soxhlet methods, and entrepreneurship training like packaging, storage, and marketing strategies. “We want this programme to become an ignitor of renewable energy innovation stemming from the village and for the village community. This is not merely training, but a real step to support clean energy transition and local economic improvement,” said Prof. Isana Supiah on Tuesday (8/7/25). The head of Wirokerten Village Tourism, Reva Bimo Nugroho, S.Tr.P, expressed that the mentoring activity was very beneficial and helped broaden the participants’ perspectives and skillsets especially in processing jatropha seeds into a jatropha oil product. “We are very hopeful for similar activities in the future, especially related to industrial-scale biodiesel production, processing of freshwater fish post-harvest into processed products such as shredded fish (abon), nuggets, meatballs and so on that can be packaged as frozen food to allow for longer storage and wider marketing thus increasing family and village economy,” he said.

Through this programme, UNY not only transfers knowledge and technology but also strengthens the network between higher education and local communities, which is the essence of the Dikti Saintek Berdampak initiative. This activity is part of UNY’s real contribution in supporting the target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in the areas of clean and affordable energy, community empowerment, and poverty reduction.