LDKPI Appreciates IPB University in the Management of TIAS Scholarship Program
IPB University received high appreciation from the International Development Cooperation Fund Institute (LDKPI) of the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) during the monitoring and evaluation (monev) visit of The Indonesian AID Scholarship (TIAS) program in 2024.
“We really appreciate the hard work of IPB University team which is able to manage and run this program optimally, although there are challenges in the form of late arrival of students,” said Ardi Setiadi Putra, representative of LDKPI during the monev in Rector’s Conference Room 1, Andi Hakim Nasoetion Building, IPB Dramaga Campus (23/12).
In the event, Dr Puji Mudiana, Director of International Education of IPB University explained related to the strategy of IPB University in supporting student adaptation. “Intensive coordination between units and special assistance are our important steps to ensure that TIAS students can adapt well,” she said.
In addition to the LDKPI monitoring and evaluation team, delegates from the Directorate General of Higher Education (Ditjen Dikti), Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek) and the manager of the TIAS IPB University scholarship program were also present.
This scholarship is one of LDKPI’s flagship programs that aims to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in the field of education. This program carries the spirit of the Asia-Africa conference and South-South cooperation with a focus on increasing the capacity and expertise of prospective leaders from Indonesian partner countries.
The TIAS program strengthens international cooperation and friendship through human resource development. The main beneficiaries of this scholarship are government officials or individuals who are recommended to work in the government sector of their home country.
The TIAS scholarship covers various needs, such as tuition fees, international journal publication assistance, research grants, round-trip tickets, visa fees, international seminar grants. Not only that, the awardees will receive a monthly living allowance, housing, and health insurance.
In 2024, IPB University became one of the universities that received students from this program. A total of five TIAS Scholarship recipients come from five different countries: Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea, Namibia, Tanzania, and Kenya.
The five students are spread across two levels of education, namely one student in the Bachelor program (Study Program / Department of Agricultural Industrial Engineering) and four others in the Master program (Food Science Study Program). The total budget used for this program reached Rp526.427.503.
Meanwhile, Prof Yusli Wardiatno, Vice Dean of the Graduate School of IPB University, suggested that the Ministry of Finance could consider a similar scheme to provide scholarships for citizens of developed countries such as Japan, China, the United States, or Western European countries.
“The presence of students from developed countries is very potential to improve the quality of research and the development of science in Indonesia,” said Prof Yusli, who previously served as Education and Culture Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo from August 2020 to January 2024.
One of IPB University’s TIAS Scholarship 2024 awardees, Sebulon from Papua New Guinea, said, “The TIAS Scholarship is one of the best scholarships from various types of scholarships because it covers many things.”
The benefits felt by scholarship recipients become evaluation material so that the TIAS program continues to be sustainable in the future. The Director of International Education of IPB University, Puji Mudiana, SP, MA hopes that the quota of recipients and study programs involved in this scholarship program can increase in the coming years. (*/Rz) (IAAS/ZQA)
