Photo: The signing of the MoU by the Director of TSE Group, Luwy Leunufna (second from left), and the Fourth Vice Rector for Cooperation Affairs of Cenderawasih University, Dr. Basir Rohrohmana, S.H., M.Hum. (third from right), marking the commencement of the collaboration between TSE Group and Cenderawasih University in the fields of research and community empowerment.
JAYAPURA – Papua is home to a diverse array of traditions, languages, and local wisdom that hold significant value for the community’s way of life. Quoted from the book Tradisi & Kebudayaan Nusantara (Archipelagic Traditions & Culture), Papua is divided into seven customary regions based on the tribes inhabiting each area, comprising a total of 255 tribes dispersed throughout Papua.
This cultural richness prompted PT Tunas Sawa Erma (TSE) Group to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cenderawasih University (Uncen) in Jayapura, Papua, on Wednesday (September 30, 2026).
This collaboration encompasses community service and empowerment programs, including ethnographic studies related to the social, cultural, and linguistic conditions of the local communities. Furthermore, the partnership also involves research programs and student internships, particularly those related to anthropological studies.
In its implementation, Cenderawasih University plays a strategic role as a prominent higher education institution in Papua that fulfills the functions of education, research, and community service.
With its academic capacity and comprehensive understanding of Papua’s local context, Uncen serves as a vital partner for TSE Group in supporting the socio-cultural studies and research required by the company.
“Through this collaboration with Cenderawasih University, PT Tunas Sawa Erma is committed to supporting human resource development and community empowerment in Papua through sustainable research programs, student internships, and community service initiatives,” stated the Director of PT Tunas Sawa Erma, Luwy Leunufna.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Vice Rector for Cooperation Affairs of Cenderawasih University, Dr. Basir Rohrohmana, S.H., M.Hum., welcomed the partnership with TSE Group. He noted that this collaboration is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the university’s contribution to society.
“The collaboration between Cenderawasih University and Tunas Sawa Erma Group is integral to enhancing the role of higher education institutions in teaching, research, and community service, particularly in delivering tangible benefits to the people of Papua,” Basir remarked.
Through this agreement, TSE Group and Cenderawasih University aim to establish a sustainable partnership between the educational sector and the corporate world, specifically in generating socio-cultural studies of the communities within operational areas. These studies are expected to serve as a foundation for designing programs that are more accurately aligned with the characteristics of the local community.
This collaboration is also driven by TSE Group’s commitment as a palm oil plantation company to implement the No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) principles, while concurrently strengthening its recovery plan processes through a more in-depth approach to the social and cultural conditions of the communities surrounding its operational areas. (PR)
