IPB will Support the Development of Community College of Serdang Bedagai Regency
Vice Rector for Resources and Strategic Studies of Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB Bogor Agricultural University), Prof. Dr. Hermanto Siregar, and Regent of Serdang Bedagai, North Sumatra (Sergai), Ir. H. Soekirman, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Campus IPB, Baranangsiang, Bogor, on 31 March 2017. IPB expects that the signing of such MoU will enable the university to support Serdang Bedagai Regency to achieve 21 achievements planned by RPJMD as the target of Sergai development. Those achievements will be on the education and training sectors covering scholarships, training and coaching for mathematics teachers, Diploma Program (D3) on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, scholarships programs for graduate studies of Civil Apparatus. Agricultural Sector Development Strategy as well as research and community empowerment program.
Prof. Hermanto Siregar stated that there are several implementable programs designed by IPB for Sergei Regency as the follow-up of the MoU. One of those programs will be the Community College, where the community share and exchange their experiences. Here in the Community College, IPB experts will be there to train the communities. "Under such program more communities will participate in the community development. Moreover they will learn to understand more on the theory and practice works that are taught directly by the expert," he said.
Yet for the scholarships program, IPB will assist Sergai Regency to perform Academic Potential Test for Fellow candidates of Beasiswa Utusan Daerah (BUD Regional Representatives Scholarships). Furthermore, for a joint cooperation of commodity development, Prof. Hermanto has selected ruminants and soybean cultivation on tidal swamp. Currently IPB has experiences on the development of soybean cultivated in such tidal lands, and had successfully harvested approximately 3 tons per hectare, much higher than the average national yields range at about 1 tons per hectare.
Chairman of the Advisory Council for Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Regulation and policy (Care) of the Institute of Research and Community Empowerment of IPB (LPPM), Prof. Dr. Rizal Syarief, DESS, proposed another implementable program under such MoU, namely Off-Campus Program. This kind of program has been applied in Sukabumi, West Java, and Padang Lawas, North Sumatra. IPB then will start or pioneering in the development of higher education in the targeted area with tailor-made education materials for the region. Thus it won’t only provide the communities learning opportunities to have critically thinking, but it also to avoid conflicts and to prevent potential disputes.
Attended on this occasion including Head of CARE, Prof. Dr. Sumardjo; the Secretary of CARE, Dr. Dahri Tanjung; as well as faculty members and researchers of related field of IPB. Representatives of Serdang Bedagai Regency were the Executive Boards of the Regents, such as Chairman of Bappeda, the Economic Bureau, Dept. of Education, the Agriculture Services, and district heads. (Wied)
