IPB Broadened Global Collaboration by Holding Students Community Service in Malaysia and Japan
Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) have fruitfully undergone several activities such as IPB Goes to Field, ASEAN Service Learning Programs (SLP) and SUIJI Service Learning Program (SLP) to improve the students’ ability in overcoming developmental drawbacks occurred within community. Head of Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) IPB—Dr. Aji Hermawan, during socialization in IPB Darmaga Campus, Bogor on December 31st, 2018, explained these activities’ vitality for students to provide direct benefits to the community by being a helping-hand for society in solving their problems and improving students’ ability to serve. These activities are expected to add up to the students’ experience, improve students’ soft skills, polish care instinct, build empathy, sharpen togetherness, and build and learn hand-in-hand within community and nation. In addition, Vice Head of LPPM IPB for Community Service—Prof. Dr. Sugeng Heri Suseno stated that IPB Goes to Field activity is designed with other universities in Indonesia with various destinations all over the country. It is an educational project for students to learn through living, adapting, and working together with the community members. Meanwhile, for ASEAN SLP, IPB cooperates with universities within ASEAN countries whose host position rotates annually, where this year Universitas Putra Malaysia is assigned as the host. On the other hand, (Six Universities Initiative Japan-Indonesia) SUIJI SLP is a joint education consortium consisting of six universities from Japan and Indonesia focusing on cooperation in sustainable tropical agriculture field and held twice a year in both Japan and Indonesia. IPB collaborates with three Japanese renowned universities e.g. Kagawa University, Kochi University and Ehime University. It emphasizes witnessing, listening and learning the culture of the community. SUIJI SLP is reciprocal project where both parties send their selected students to each other to conduct community service.
