Bima Arya: IPB University is More than Qualified to Have a Faculty of Medical Sciences

The mayor of Bogor, Bima Arya assessed that IPB University is more than qualified to open a medical faculty (FK). This was conveyed in the visitation of the Indonesian Institute for Self-Accreditation of Higher Education in Health (LAM-PTkes) to the Doctor Study Programme, FK IPB University (27/7).

“This plan (opening of FK IPB University) makes us happy and optimistic. In my opinion, IPB University is more than qualified to have a medical faculty,” he said.

Bima said, there are several things that underlie his view. First, according to him, IPB University is currently managed by qualified people. This has an impact on the innovations and collaborations produced. “We are always proud of the innovations and collaborations carried out by IPB University,” he continued.

Secondly, he saw the meritocracy of the academic tradition at IPB University built and accompanied by good management skills. “The character of IPB University is interesting. Not only pure scientific, but the network built and the management tradition in it are extraordinary,” he added.

Moreover, he continued, IPB University has a School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (previously Faculty of Veterinary Medicine) with undoubted quality. This is also an important capital to open and have a medical faculty.

“So if we already have veterinary medicine, God willing, we can also have human medicine. The Bogor City Government (Pemkot) is ready to back up, we are ready to fully support. Our commitment is long term, whoever the mayor is,” said Bima.

“I really ask for support from the assessor team, because this (FK IPB University) is not just pride, but it is a necessity and a necessity. Not only for Bogor City, but for Indonesia to pick up the golden generation of 2045,” he said.

Rector of IPB University, Prof Arif Satria revealed several reasons for the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine at IPB University, one of which was to answer the needs of health workers in Indonesia. Not only that, so far the health / biomedical field has become the most research topic at IPB University after the food sector.

“In the last ten years, as many as 1,825 IPB University publications are in the field of health and biomedicine. This shows that our concern in the field of health is very much,” said the rector.

Some of IPB University’s innovations in the health sector are ELISA and InventPro kits. In addition, said Prof Arif, IPB University’s role in handling the COVID-19 pandemic also strengthened the reason for the establishment of the Faculty of Medical Sciences.

Meanwhile, the temporary person in charge (Pjs) of the Dean of FK IPB University, Prof Srihadi Agungpriyono said, this LAM-PTKes visitation was one of the requirements and efforts to guarantee the quality of the Doctor Study Program, FK IPB University which would soon be established. Visitation is important to assess the feasibility of FK IPB University in carrying out education and learning activities.

“In preparing the Doctor Study Programme and FK IPB University, we have prepared various things that are required including the curriculum, human resources of lecturers and education staff, facilities and infrastructure and learning outcomes to be achieved,” he explained.

In addition, continued Prof Srihadi, the distinctive feature and difference between FK IPB University and other medical faculties is the additional competence, namely ‘Agroherbal Medicine with a One Health Approach’.

Responding to this, Prof Dharma Lindarto, one of the LAM-PTKes assessors stated that the concept of ‘Agroherbal Medicine with a One Health Approach’ should not only be the idea of IPB University, but also the idea of Indonesia.

“(The idea) does not only belong to IPB University, but to Indonesia. For example, China from its agroherbals can make America learn there. If IPB University has worked on that, I think it is a match,” he said. (Rz) (IAAS/RUM)