Faculty of Forestry of IPB Holds Return to Campus Day “HAPKA XVII 2018”

In the framework of the 55th Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Anniversary, IPB's Faculty of Forestry held a peak event on the Return to Campus of Faculty of Forestry Alumni Association (HAPKA-HAE) IPB XVII in 2018, Sunday (9/9), at the Faculty of Forestry, IPB, Campus of IPB Dramaga, Bogor. The participants of the event carrying the theme "Care and Respect to Synergize to Build the Country" hoped to make and want alumni to continue to care, synergize and contribute together to build the country.

Rector of IPB, Dr. Arif Satria said, the HAPKA IPB XVII activity was a momentum for IPB especially the Faculty of Forestry of IPB to continue to consolidate efforts to mobilize resources in order to promote and build the Faculty of Forestry of IPB in a better direction. "The IPB program is now focused on making or building ‘storefronts’. Every faculty in IPB must establish or display a storefront. Storefront is a marketplace that we can show to the public or the community, where people can know, see and witness what we do. For example, the Faculty of Forestry must have a forest park, or conservation gallery," said the rector of IPB.

The rector of IPB added, IPB could not be alone, Faculty of Forestry IPB could not be alone, any universities and faculties in Indonesia and the world could not be alone, there was always affected and affecting relationship. So the role of alumni is very important to have a significant role that directly senses the situation in the field regarding the changes that occur. Therefore, alumni who work in government, private and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can provide inputs and provide positive energy to the Faculty of Forestry and IPB in general.

The Chancellor emphasized, "We want to form ‘leaders’. For this reason, IPB alumni must become leaders and IPB continues to provide education and expertise to students and emphasizes more on the aspect of soft skills improvement. IPB does not want students and alumni to become followers. IPB wants alumni to be leaders, for that IPB will continue to encourage and support alumni who are indeed potential leaders in the fields of bureaucracy, business, politics and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). If IPB alumni become leaders and students of future leaders, then we can direct and IPB to determine the fate of this nation. "

Dean of the Faculty of Forestry of IPB, Dr. Ir. Rinekso Soekmadi said, "A sense of pride and gratitude towards the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Forestry IPB, where HAPKA IPB is now being looked at and seen by other faculties in IPB, and now some faculties are trying to adopt activities carried out by HAPKA IPB to be followed up and implemented in each faculty. Other than that, the Faculty of Forestry of IPB is also now planning a campus forest park located in Cikabayan, IPB Campus covering 15 hectares. This campus park will later become a collection of rare trees and a place for expression of students of the Faculty of Forestry of IPB. So in the campus forest park, it is planned that there will be information about the center related to forestry education, as well as to educate young people or school children to love the environment and forests," he said.

The Chairperson of HAPKA HAE IPB XVII Committee, Arif Mahmud expressed his gratitude for the alumni of the Faculty of Forestry of IPB for their great contribution to the HAPKA HAE IPB XVII event in 2018. It was said that HAPKA this time was more colorful and lively than previous events. In the implementation of the HAPKA HAE IPB XVII, there are a series of activities which include Fun Off Road, Environmental and National Forest Photo Contest, National Seminar, HAE IPB National Conference, Run 4 Jungle, Cool GoEs, tree planting, and gaple competitions. This once every three year event then reached its peak on September 9, 2018, which included photo exhibitions, bazaars, essential oil demonstrations, food Wanabhakti Award awards, launching of the Forest Digest website, and Dramaga Jungle Jazz 2018. Dramaga Jungle Jazz had taken place three times, and this year, Idang Rasjidi, Syaharani, Ello and Rieka Roslan were presented.

This year HAPKA HAE IPB XVII also provided assistance to foster bikes to IPB students, as many as 32 bicycles in order to support IPB Green Campus activities.

Through the 2018 National Conference, the new Chairman of the IPB Forestry Alumni Association was elected. In a dynamic process, the General Chair of the HAE (Faculty of Forestry) IPB 2015-2018 period, Awriya Ibrahim was replaced by Bambang Supriyanto, General Chairperson of the HAE IPB for the period 2018-2021.

While the Chairperson of the IPB HAE for the 2015-2018 period, Awriya Ibrahim said, the program of activities that had been carried out by the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Forestry of IPB was more focused on the social field. (RYS)