The Graduate School (SPs) of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta welcomed a coordination and monitoring visit from the Youth, Sports, and Tourism Office of Balikpapan City (Disporapar) on Monday, 11 May 2026. The meeting was held in the Executive Meeting Room on the second floor of the Imam Barnadib Building and formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between the Balikpapan City Government and UNY in the development of human resources, particularly in the fields of sports and continuing education.

The delegation from Disporapar Balikpapan was led by the Head of the Sports Division, M. Norhan, and included Widya Asmiyantini, Chair of the High-Performance Sports Development Team; Afrian Muslimin, Chair of the Community Sports Team; and Angga Cahya, PASK for High-Performance Sports Development.

The delegation was welcomed by the Director of the Graduate School, Prof. Dr. Siswantoyo, M.Kes., AIFO., who expressed his appreciation for the trust placed in UNY as a strategic partner in advancing government human resource development through higher education.

In his remarks, Prof. Siswantoyo emphasized that the partnership should extend beyond educational advancement and contribute to broader initiatives in human resource development and regional sports improvement.

“We hope this collaboration will not only support continuing studies but also expand into broader initiatives aimed at enhancing human resource quality and strengthening regional sports development. We also encourage students currently pursuing their studies to complete their education on time and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of their region,” he stated.

The discussion proceeded in a warm and productive atmosphere. During the meeting, M. Norhan explained that the cooperation established through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNY covers both undergraduate and graduate education programs, particularly the Master’s Programs in Human Resource Management and Sports Science.

He further noted that future collaboration would focus on strategic initiatives, including joint training programs and competency development for personnel within the Balikpapan City Government.

Meanwhile, Widya Asmiyantini, who is also pursuing a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management at the Graduate School, expressed her hope that the partnership could be strengthened through a formal Cooperation Agreement (CA). She noted, however, that current budget-efficiency measures require the preparation of a comprehensive roadmap and supporting research studies as the basis for future program implementation.

“We hope to receive guidance from the Graduate School in developing the roadmap and research studies needed to ensure that this collaboration can be implemented in a focused, sustainable, and impactful manner,” she remarked.

Through this coordination and monitoring visit, the Graduate School reaffirmed its commitment to supporting regional human resource development through higher education, research, and strategic partnerships. The meeting is expected to serve as an important step toward strengthening synergy between academic institutions and local governments in developing innovative and impactful human resource development programs.