FEM IPB Launches COSBI for Cooperatives and Small Business Enterprises

Faculty of Economy and Management, IPB University (FEM IPB) launched Cooperative and Social Business Initiative (COSBI) in Republic of Indonesia’s Cooperative and Small Business Enterprises Ministry’s (Kemenkop and UKM) Auditorium, Jakarta, Wednesday (20/3). The launching of COSBI was witnessed directly by Secretary of Kemenkop and UKM, Meliadi Sembiring, and the higher ups of Kemenkop and UKM.

COSBI is a body formed to answer issues related to development of institutionalization and empowerment of cooperatives in Indonesia. Not only that, COSBI also tries to answer the problems and challenges arising in social businesses development in the society.

“Actually there has been research centers focusing on cooperatives, but until now there hasn’t been a research center that specifically combines cooperative institutions with social businesses. Because of that, with the formation COSBI we hope that we can fill in that niche,” said Dr. R. Nunung Nuryartono, Dean of FEM IPB.

Through COSBI, said Dr. Nunung, there will be a synergy between government as a stakeholder, institution as the center of knowledge and entrepreneurs. By combining those three elements, we hope that we can solve the problems about cooperatives in Indonesia.

At least there are four strategic values of COSBI, which are cooperative principals based on Pancasila, Indonesian culture, pillar of Indonesian economy which adopts Pancasila economical system, increase of small business enterprises’ contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and workforce, and to be model and dimension from social business.

In its operations, COSBI will be a cooperative research center which specifically handle cooperatives and social businesses. On the other hand, COSBI will support government’s policy in improving Indonesian cooperatives and development of science in its relationship with cooperative develoment. COSBI will become a center for cooperative consultation and other social business initiatives.

Dr. Nunung explained that there are four scopes of activities which become the main focus of COSBI. The scopes include research, workshop and assistance in developing institutional capacity, cooperative human resources and social entrepreneurship, conducting advocacy and dissemination to cooperatives and social businesses, and expanding network with stakeholders.

“IPB as one of centers of excellence for economical activities, hopes that with the formation of COSBI, we can help solving problems in government, especially in cooperative field,” said Dr. Nunung.