Surabaya, East Java, Feb. 10 -- Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf called upon public and private universities in East Java to collaborate on initiatives aimed at reducing extreme poverty in the area.

"We want to partner with universities, collaborate, and support each other in addressing poverty issues," Yusuf made the statement during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Social Affairs and the East Java Indonesian Rector Forum here on Monday.

The minister emphasized that poverty alleviation efforts must be conducted with diligence, grounded in current data, and executed with effectiveness and on target.

President Prabowo Subianto has set a goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2025 or, a...