IPB and UBC Held Joint Summer Course 2018 Focusing on e-Commerce

Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) and The University of British Columbia (UBC) Canada are coordinating a joint summer course program in 2018. The program which was held on May 2 - 31, 2018 carrying a theme of “Household Participation in Indonesian Creative Economy: Utilization of e-Commerce”. For the whole month of the program, the UBC students attended some classes and had several field trips. Twenty students from UBC Canada who participated in this program were welcomed warmly by the Vice Rector for Cooperation and Information System of Bogor Agricultural University, Prof. Dr. Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat, on Wednesday (3/5) in Dramaga Campus Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor.

Prof. Dodik stated that summer course program is so beneficial for both foreign and Indonesian students that it should be developed more and more in the coming years. Through this program, foreign students will get meaningful experience during their stay in Indonesia such as learning Indonesia’s culture and agriculture practices, not to mention observing the local life. On the other hand, Indonesian students will have a chance to initiate common interests and to communicate with foreign students so that they will be much prepared to dive into a diverse workplace and learning environment in the future. In the best of both worlds, students from UBC Canada can transfer their knowledge about modern farming and agriculture while Indonesian students take the good in them to be implemented later.

"Looking through the problems in agriculture practices in Indonesia might be the interesting learning opportunity for UBC Canada students. Since we have specific and particular problems, they will understand that not all technologies from UBC Canada will do great in Indonesia as they’re doing great in Canada. The point is they need to learn from agricultural organizations in Indonesia and to make adjustment to the technology development in here" as explained by Prof. Dodik.

As part of the program, the summer course participants visited Kebun Kopi Cibulao on May 7th to study about coffee garden management and development in the respective location. The students were seen excited to taste the coffee made from the pure coffee beans at the coffee garden. Since the taste of Indonesian coffee is one of a kind, experiencing drinking it right from the purest grind was sure a memorable experience for them.

Joint summer course with UBC Canada is not only beneficial for the summer course participants, but it is also an important platform to initiate greater collaboration, especially in the fields of research and education. (Awl/ris/FR)