InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - Indonesia would be in the golden era in 2045 when the kick off started many years ago. It is 2024 which means, there would be 21 years more to get the brighter future. As the next generation, every young man should be responsible to think not only his personal future but also the future of society, environment, and the sustainability of this country.
One positive aspect to appreciate is the increasing numbers of students that got scholarship. In 2022, there were 1.000 students got it. In 2023 the numbers would be about 2.000 students in many regions in Indonesia. Though there are gaps of allocation for some regions, this would be the positive thing.
But in 2024, the allocation to get scholarship would be 3.000 students. The numbers are not as the hoped to what Ministry of Agriculture Indonesia Republic claimed to provide scholarship for 10.000 students.
In fact, the scholarship would play big potential to make the best generation in the biggest tax contributor in this country. But to realize the goal, it needs the same efforts and should involve many parties.
Escalating The Quality of Students
As the concrete thing, every university that is affiliated with palm oil scholarship should focus more to escalate the quality of the students. Besides having will to work at the industries, the students need empowerment to play more actively in the global level - stages. Two aspects to notice are reinforcing foreign languages and comparative study.
At least, the students need to understand and master foreign languages, for instance, English and Mandarin. The two are relevant with palm oil industries. The initiation to get additional lesion or foreign language course would be the solution to escalate their skills in the languages. The good skill in speaking foreign languages would competitively deliver superiority in the global level – stages.
The universities should do study program to many neighborhood countries that they have many experiences in palm oil industries, for instance, Malaysia. This could be the destination to conduce comparative study efficiently because it would spend less. The program would deliver not only direct experiences but also be the strategy of marketing for the universities to get more students to study (palm oil sectors).
It needs support from many parties to realize those. The universities should cooperate with Plantation Enterprises, related agencies, ministries, Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency and palm oil industries to create the generations that are superior not only in national level but would also compete in international level – markets.
Potential and Challenges in Palm Oil Industries
There are positive samples from Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) that was established by the Government of Indonesia and Malaysia. CPOPC, with the support of the deceased Rizal Ramli, successfully struggled for the future of Indonesia’s palm oil industries in the global stages. The members, such as, as, Honduras, Colombia, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, and others, widely showed their supports for the industries.
The diplomacy by CPOPC, including the visit to many countries, should become the reference for universities to escalate the young generations’ roles as the future palm oil diplomat. The collaboration between CPOPC and universities to create the generations that deeply understand about palm oil industries, would be the successful key. (*)
By: Benny/Student of Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia
