Taufiq Ismail, a Legendary Poet with a degree in Veterinary Science from IPB

Not only can the academic skills that students studying in IPB or other colleges develop, but also their interest and potential. A student who decides to take up studies in a particular field could have an interest and talent completely unrelated to his field of studies. This is certainly a positive value for him when he can develop his potential at the same equally improving his hard skills. Taufiq Ismail is the well-known writer and poet in Indonesia. Surprisingly, who would have thought that it turns out that he completed his studies at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, now the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FKH) of IPB?

 

Taufiq Ismail was born in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, June 25, … and grew up in Pekalongan. He graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of IPB in 1963 and became a lecturer in IPB. Although the poet who writes the lyrics of Bimbo songs concentrates more on the interest and talent in the arts, the degree from IPB as vet is very close to him. Taufiq Ismail is highly productive. Some of his works include Tyranny – Birpen KAMI Center (1966), Fortress – Litera (1966), and Guest Book of Struggle Museum – Jakarta Arts Council (booklet of reading poems) (1972). In each of his works, the hallmark of Taufiq Ismail always appears – his poem is filled with detailed symbols indicating that he is a subtle observer.

 

A poem of Taufiq Ismail that leaves the deepest impression is the one he wrote to his friend, Antua Arifin M. Kasim, an IPB student who devote himself in Waimital for a dozen years to build and promote agriculture. He calls it a "Poem for A Farmer of Waimital, Seram, who is now Returning to his alma mater." During the studies in college, Taufiq Ismail was an active student. He was a chairman of the Student Senate in Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (1960-1961) and Vice-Chairman of the Student Council (1960-1962). After graduation, he taught as a language teacher in SMA Regina Pacis, Bogor (1963-1965), Introduction to Animal Husbandry Science at Pesantren Darul Fallah, Ciampea (1962), and assistant lecturer of Livestock Management at the Faculty of Animal Husbandry, University of Indonesia in Bogor and Bogor Agricultural University (1961- 1964).

 

Taufiq was one of the founders of the Jakarta Arts Council (JAC), Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), and the Jakarta Institute of Arts Education (LPKJ) (1968). In three institutions Taufiq got a variety of tasks: the Executive Secretary of the JAC, Director of TIM and LPKJ Rector (1968-1978). After resigning from the tasks, he worked in a private company, as Manager of External Relations of PT Unilever Indonesia (1978-1990), and in those various professions, he remained active in writing and reading poems. "I feel closer to God when working on poetry," he said. He had the opportunity participating in the International Writing Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA and studied at the Faculty of Language and Literature, American University in Cairo, Egypt, in 1993.

 

Various poems have been written since 1974, from ‘Poem of Corn Field’ (1974) and ‘From Fansuri to Handayani’ (2001). He has received some awards such as the Art Award from the Government of Indonesia (1970), Cultural Visit Award from the Government of Australia (1977), South East Asia (SEA) Write Award from the Kingdom of Thailand (1994), Literature Writing from the Language Center (1994), Archipelago Writers from Johor State, Malaysia (1999), and Doctor of honoris causa from Yogyakarta State University (2003). (Mtd)