This is Rian’s Story, IPB University Students Follow the MSIB Internship Program, Get the Task of Controlling Pests and Diseases of Oil Palm Plants

Internship and Certified Independent Study or often referred to as MSIB is one of the flagship programs of Freedom of Learning – Independence Campus (MBKM) which is most in demand by all students in Indonesia, including IPB University students.

One of them is Rian Saputra, an IPB University student from the Silviculture Study Program, Faculty of Forestry and Environment (Fahutan) who has participated in the MSIB program in 2023. He said that he participated in an internship at one of the companies engaged in oil palm plantations, namely PT Bumitama Gunajaya Agro (BGA), South Jakarta.

“It was fun and rewarding. The knowledge of oil palm plantations is not only about oil palm plantation management, but I also get the knowledge of oil palm plantation administration, which is not taught on campus,” said Rian.

Rian said that during his internship, he not only gained knowledge, but his soft skills, behavior, and perspective on things became better. “PT BGA not only provides knowledge and experience, but also a sense of kinship between interns, staff and employees of PT BGA,” he said.

He also shared his experience when carrying out the MSIB internship for 139 days starting on August 14 to December 31, 2023. “I carried out several tasks during my internship at PT GBU, one of which was controlling pests and diseases of oil palm plants,” said Rian.

During his internship, Rian was involved in activities such as harvesting oil palms, controlling weeds, fertilizing, planting Nephrolepis, maintaining nuts, maintaining gawangan, maintaining the main disk, and canopy management.

“For more than four months, I also learned how to network, communicate effectively with staff and establish good relationships so that I feel the warmth and togetherness,” Rian concluded. (Lp/Rz) (IAAS/NYS)