Equitable development in remote areas remains a challenge in realizing equitable prosperity. In this regard, students, as agents of change, have a strategic role to help reduce disparities through community service activities. Bina Abdi Desa (Village Community Service) is a flagship program of the Community Service Department of the Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Airlangga in 2026. It focuses on village empowerment with a sustainable, participatory, and solution-oriented approach. This program is entering its fourth year of implementation in Kandangan Village, Senduro District, Lumajang Regency, a village with great potential but still facing limitations in education, economics, the environment, and infrastructure.
As an implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, this program exists to address real community needs. Collaboration between students and residents is focused on developing local potential. Potential management has not been optimally implemented and is still hampered by infrastructure and digitalization. Furthermore, limited access to education and healthcare services is also a major concern. Against this backdrop, Kandangan Village is considered relevant as a community service location to support the achievement of the SDGs, particularly in the areas of health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), economic growth (SDG 8), and sustainable settlements (SDG 11).
Bina Abdi Desa strives to promote social transformation through four main sectors. In education, the program provides educational and motivational activities for elementary school students. In health, it provides free checkups and education on healthy lifestyles for the elderly. From an environmental perspective, the program promotes improvements and good management. Meanwhile, in the economic sector, it provides mentoring and development of Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes), administrative digitization, halal certification, and strengthening the branding and marketing of local MSMEs.
The program's implementation is divided into two main pillars. The Community Empowerment Pillar emphasizes direct student involvement in social activities with the community, such as education, health campaigns, and environmental management. Meanwhile, the Village Economic Revitalization Pillar focuses on strengthening the local economy through mentoring Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes), developing business units, digitizing sales, and facilitating halal certification. The program is scheduled to last seven days, July 27–August 3, 2026. Through Bina Abdi Desa (Village Service Development), Universitas Airlangga FEB students are expected to contribute as drivers of independent, healthy, and competitive communities. This program is a concrete manifestation of the role of higher education in assisting village communities in a sustainable manner.