Passed the Top 4 of UCCN National Selection, National Selection Committee Team Visits Malang City

Klojen (malangkota.go.id) - Malang City has successfully passed the last four stages of the national selection for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). Entering the next stage, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenparekraf RI) and the UCCN National Selection Committee (Panselnas) team conducted a visitation or field visit to Malang City. The visitation of the UCCN National Selection Committee team and Kemenparekraf RI was received at the Mayor's Meeting Room of Malang City Hall on Wednesday (25/9/2024).

Acting (Pj.) Mayor of Malang Iwan Kurniawan, ST, MM when receiving the Visitation of the UCCN National Selection Committee team and Kemenparekraf RI in the Mayor's Meeting Room of Malang City Hall.
Acting (Pj.) Mayor of Malang Iwan Kurniawan, ST, MM said that Malang City has Malang Creative Center (MCC), which is a place / house provided by the Malang City Government (Pemkot) for the community to be creative and increase positive creativity that contributes to the development of Malang City. Strengthened by the uniqueness of Malang City which focuses on human resources (HR), MCC is a shared house, an incubator where there is also a transfer of knowledge.

Iwan Kurniawan, who also holds the position of Director of Regional Development Evaluation and Information Planning at the Ministry of Home Affairs, revealed that MCC is exceptional in its ability to provide a platform for youth creativity. According to him, MCC will be an example that needs to be applied in other regions.

“Malang Creative Center consists of seven floors, from the first to the seventh floor filled with young people who are actively involved in carrying out positive creativity that contributes to the development of Malang City. I see the structure, management or management carried out by youth, then the background, they have experience, both local, national and even international. Their extraordinary experiences have become various programs, the attraction and leverage of MCC so that MCC can run well,” said Iwan.

Unusually, the commitment of the local government, in this case the City Government of Malang, extends beyond the preparation of a forum to include the preparation of an operational and maintenance budget, which is a local government service designed to foster the creativity of young individuals who can contribute to the development of Malang City.

“If we look at the activities, it is evident that the economic growth at MCC, facilitated by its events, leads to an increase in local revenue. By presenting exhibits lets ministries, institutions, and regions see what MCC is all about,” he elaborated.

Iwan is also optimistic that Malang City is very worthy of entering the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). Furthermore, Iwan also revealed the interesting and unique side of mapping or structuring Malang Raya, that Malang Raya has divided its relations with Malang City for business, services and education, then for Malang Regency and Batu City for tourism.

“This is what is interesting about the arrangement of Malang Raya, is that, when talking about Malang City for services, business, and the potential for creativity, there are 74 universities. When it comes to creativity, there is capacity building by the community or youth in Malang City, but there is also the creativity of students from all over Indonesia who contribute, thoughts and groups to convey their uniqueness or conditions in their respective regions by dialoguing, discussing in that forum or other places. Similarly, students convey some of the conceptual creativity exhibited by students studying here to regions nationally,” Iwan explained.

According to him, this is an extraordinary potential for exchange of ideas, collaboration, providing input on programs related to creativity and then bringing good things that will be implemented in their regions. “We hope that by entering the international stagewill allow us to grow, of course we will become more professional with guidance, guidance on how the international level can be applied in Malang City,” said Iwan.

Meanwhile, the National Selection Committee Team for UCCN Nominations, Harry Waluyo, conveyed how the creative economy differs from the conventional one. Because when individualsacquire skills through education, they do not look for jobs, they create them. They provide ease of networking where there is an exchange so that a win-win solution can be achieved. “Not only existence, but at the best practice level what can be given. Does Malang City have a best practice that can be a contributor to Indonesia and the world,” he said.

Harry also expressed his appreciation for the arrangement of Malang Raya. “Proposing a creative city does not mean not involving other cities. Malang City with its human resources, Batu City and Malang Regency with its tourism. This is a great idea, there isn't any similar interconnection. So let's prove it,” he concluded.

The visitation activity will continue with a visit to Kayutangan Heritage Village, Malang Creative Center (MCC), one of the start-ups in Malang City, and Singhasari SEZ as an Internationalization Partnership & Partner Connecticity Malang Raya. (yu/yon)