IPB University Agribusiness Science Doctoral Student Joins Mobility Student Program at L’Institut Agro Montpellier
IPB University Graduate School (SPs) student from the Agribusiness Science Doctoral Study Program (AGB), Dian Novita Susanto participated in the Mobility Student program at L’Institut Agro Montpellier, France. She applied for the program through the Erasmus+ scholarship program.
The program offered by L’Institut Agro Montpellier lasts for 6 months to 1 year. Through this program, students from abroad have the opportunity to study and deepen their majors according to their interests.
Dian Novita Susanto said that this program is in line with her field of study. Currently, she said, agriculture in Indonesia has not considered environmental components such as soil, water quality and also weather that threaten the sustainability of agriculture. She also found a lack of attention to the empowerment of local communities.
“My motivation for joining this program is to gain experience of the study abroad system, especially in France and especially at L’Institut Agro Montpellier which is one of the best agricultural campuses that offers research and education in the fields of agriculture, food and environment,” she said.
Dian, who is also the Chairperson of Women Farmers of the Indonesian Farmers Harmony Association (HKTI), added that while at L’Institut Agro Montpellier, she participated in two programs, namely Data Manager and Agroecology. In the Data Manager program, she had the opportunity to learn how to create sensors to measure fertility or green leaves through mobile web applications.
“In the Agroecology program, I learned how the principles of agricultural sustainability related to the environment are applied in grape plantations. I got this experience by going directly to the field with friends who participated in the program at L’Institut Agro Montpellier,” she added.
Dian also shared her experience when applying for the Mobility Student program at L’Institut Agro Montpellier by sending her final semester academic grades, cover letter (motivation letter) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test.
“I hope that after participating in this program, through the additional skills that I have gained, I can apply them to the organization and the progress of the country. With the additional insight and experience, I believe I can bring positive changes to agriculture in Indonesia,” he explained. (HBL/Rz) (IAAS/ZQA)
