The Department of English Education (DEE) welcomed an official coordination visit from the Office of the Deputy Assistant for Documents and Translation, Cabinet Session Deputy, Cabinet Support Secretariat, Ministry of State Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia. Held on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, the visit focused on strengthening translation initiatives, developing linguistic competencies, and exploring potential collaborations between government institutions and higher education.
The delegation consisted of Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas, S.S., M.M. (Senior Expert Translator), Agung Prasetya, S.Kom. (Junior Expert Archivist), Riki Rubianto, S.Sos. (Junior Expert Archivist), and Dwi Yuli Yanto, S.Kom. (Operational Service Officer).
During the session, Dr. Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas explained that the campus visit program was designed to gather academic insights that support the advancement of government translation systems. He highlighted the continued demand for interpreters, speech writers, and legal translators within state institutions. Despite the growing use of machine translation, he emphasized the ongoing need for expert translators, particularly in handling legal documents.
The discussion also underscored several emerging issues in Indonesia’s language landscape, including the absence of a formal national language policy, unresolved standards for translating foundational state elements such as Pancasila and the national anthem, and the increasing frequency of doorstop statements by public officials that require translators and interpreters to be highly adaptable.
Opportunities for student involvement were a key topic. These include potential contributions to ministerial events, interpreter and translator support, participation in government seminars, and the development of a university-based translator database. The Ministry also opened possibilities for translation internships, access to ministry-run translation journals, and collaboration in areas related to legal translation.
Representing FKIP UMS, Vice Dean I Dr. Miftakhul Huda affirmed the faculty’s readiness to expand academic and professional collaboration. He highlighted the potential for internship programs, guest lectures from practitioners within the Ministry, and joint research in translation and language studies.
This coordination visit marks an important step toward building long-term synergy between FKIP UMS and the Ministry of State Secretariat. It reinforces DEE’s commitment to preparing students with relevant competencies and strengthening its role as an institution responsive to national professional and academic needs.