Prof. Dr. Erika Budiarti Laconi, Was Appointed as the First Female Vice-rector of Bogor Agricultural University
Professor Chair Holder of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry of Bogor Agricultural University (Fapet) (IPB), Prof. Dr. Ir. Erika Budiarti Laconi, MS, who was elected and inaugurated as Vice Rector for Innovation, Business and Entrepreneurship of IPB under the in the chairmanship of the new Rector of IPB period 2017-2022, Dr. Arif Satria. She is the first female faculty member who occupied such position as Vice Rector of IPB. The Bogor Agricultural University is to appoint its first female vice-rector since its records began nearly 55 years ago.
In addition to Prof. Erika, the other elected vice rectors are Dr. Ir. Drajat Martianto, MSc as Vice Rector for Education and Student Affairs; Dr. Ir. Agus Purwito, M.Sc.Agr, Vice Rector for Resources, Planning and Finance; and Prof. Dr. Ir. Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat, MSc.F. as Vice Rector for Cooperation and Information System. The inauguration of the vice rectors was conducted by the Board of Trustees (MWA) IPB, on Friday, 2 February 2018, in IPB Campus, Dramaga, Bogor.
Prof. Erika is Professor in the Department of Nutrition Science and Feed Technology of Faculty of Animal Husbandry (Fapet) of IPB. She is known as an energetic lecturer, assertive and lively.
Prof. Erika was born in Teluk Betung, Lampung Province. Prof. Erika completed her bachelor degree of the Faculty of Animal Science of Bogor Agricultural University on Animal Feed Science. Then she pursued her higher degree program in the School of the Graduate Studies of IPB, for her master degree program. She obtained her Doctoral degree program from the same university, the School of the Graduate Studies of IPB in 1998.
Her invention relates heavily to the forage wealth of the oil palm plantation areas as a source of ruminants feed ingredients. According to her, some composition of palm oil can be used as animal feed, such as palm leaf midrib, palm fruit leaf and palm oil cake. Not only that, Prof. Erika has been able to demonstrate high economic value with its wide-open marketing opportunities. It can be achieved as she improves the efficiency of land use in Indonesia for livestock business. Innovation in animal husbandry has been presented in her scientific oration for Professor Chair Holders of IPB in the year 2014. Her scientific oration was the compilation of research results over the last few years, both independent research and joint research. One of her main subjects is the development of forage-based folk cultivation in plantation areas.
Prof. Erika has also made recommendations to harmonize plantations with livestock, estate cultivation and national programs to develop community-based livestock production in oil palm plantations. Therefore, she expects to get supports from the government, state-owned companies and private companies to work together in realizing community-based livestock farming plantations in order to establish harmony of livestock farms and the independence of meat products.
Her expertise in continuous innovation and business development is the reason why the new Rector of IPB, Dr. Arif Satria, appointed her as Vice Rector for Innovation, Business and Entrepreneurship in his term as Rector of IPB period 2018-2023.
With regard to the competence of Prof. Erika in her appointment as Vice Rector for Innovation, Business and Entrepreneurship of IPB, one of Professor Chair Holder of Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of Bogor Agricultural University (FMIPA IPB), Prof. Dr. Asep Saefuddin said, "Prof. Erika is the active member of IPB Trustee (MWA), she is responsible to manage IPB assets and facilities. The experience she gained while she has been carrying out such jobs has become the foundation for her to translate K-business ideas. In addition, Prof. Erika has established good working relationship with the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti), since the 90s she has been the active member of the assessing and selecting team for grant proposals for Kemenristekdikti. Moreover, she has been member of the National Education Standards Agency (BSNP) for 2014-2018 period, she was also the first female chairman of BSNP for period 2016-2017.
Prof. Erika is one of the active assessors for the National Accreditation Board of Higher Education (BAN PT). The experiences she gained of course will help in caryin out the entrepreneurial management, innovation and business. "IPB is known to be the most innovative campus in Indonesia, certainly the university requires forbearing the top management to handle the downstream processing of research results. This patience is usually owned by a woman and this is characteristics of prof. Erika. In addition, Prof. Erika since her childhood has been involve in the business matters because she was born and grown up in the family of entrepreneurs. Accordingly, Prof. Erika will be qualified to develop business matters in accordance with the IPB Rector Strategic Plan for 2017-2022, "explained Prof. Asep Saefuddin.
Prof. Erika B. Laconi actively teaches various subjects in IPB in both the undergraduate (S1), as well as the graduate studies program (master and doctoral degree programs). In addition, she has been active carrying out various research programs in the resource exploration and feed technology. Moreover, Prof. Erika also involves in various education, research and community service programs of DIKTI(Directorate General of Higher Education). She had been authors of papers and facilitators for seminar and training courses, both local and internationals. Some seminars and trainings she had attended abroad were to America, Japan, Australia, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and other countries. (Wied)
